Open AccessIsolation and characterization of an obligately chemolithoautotrophic H alothiobacillus strain capable of growth on thiocyanate as an energy source
Author(s) -
Sorokin Dimitry Y.,
Abbas Ben,
Zessen Erik,
Muyzer Gerard
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/1574-6968.12432
Subject(s) - thiocyanate , cyanate , oxidizing agent , ammonium thiocyanate , enrichment culture , bacteria , sulfur , strain (injury) , chemistry , energy source , biology , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , petroleum , genetics , anatomy
Molecular and microbiological analysis of a laboratory bioreactor biomass oxidizing thiocyanate at autotrophic conditions and at 1 M NaCl showed a domination of a single chemolithoautotrophic sulfur‐oxidizing bacterium ( SOB ) capable of using thiocyanate as an energy source. The bacterium was isolated in pure cultures and identified as a member of the H alothiobacillus halophilus / hydrothermalis clade. This clade includes moderately halophilic chemolithoautotrophic SOB from marine and hypersaline habitats for which the ability to utilize thiocyanate as an electron donor has not been previously demonstrated. H alothiobacillus sp. strain SCN ‐R1 grew with thiocyanate as the sole energy and nitrogen source oxidizing it to sulfate and ammonium via the cyanate pathway . The pH range for thiocyanate oxidation was within a neutral region between 7 and 8 and the range of salinity was from 0.2 to 1.5 M NaCl, with an optimum at 0.5 M. Despite the close phylogenetic relatedness, none of the tested type strains and other isolates from the H. halophilus/hydrothermalis group exhibited thiocyanate‐oxidizing capacity.