title: Limestone dissolution induced by fungal mycelia, acidic materials, and carbonic anhydrase from fungi.
abstract: Microorganisms influence the dissolution of a number of minerals. Limestone is one of the most abundant rock types in karst areas, and is predominantly calcium carbonate. Two types of experimental systems were designed in this paper, to make comparisons of limestone dissolution rate among the acidic materials and extracellular carbonic anhydrase (CA) excreted by fungi and the enwrapping effect of fungal mycelia. One was the simulated experimental system containing microorganisms. Another was the simulated experimental system without microorganisms. Results of previous experiment indicated that the acidic materials and CA like enzymatic materials excreted by fungi and the enwrapping effect of fungal mycelia were important factors influencing limestone dissolution. In the three factors mentioned above, the dissolution effect was mycelia enwraping effect>acidic dissolution effect>CA enzymatic effect. The results of the second experiment demonstrated further that the limestone dissolution effect of the acidic materials excreted by fungi was stronger than that of CA excreted by fungi. Nevertheless, CA still played an important role in promoting the dissolution of limestone.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Peng-Peng
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Li-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Long-Jiang
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xue-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000086:Acetazolamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000378:metabolism*; D002127:Calcium Isotopes; D002257:Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D025282:Mycelium / Q000378:metabolism*; D010407:Penicillium / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D002127:Calcium Isotopes; D002257:Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors; D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D000086:Acetazolamide