title: Investigation of elemental sulfur speciation transformation mediated by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.
abstract: The speciation transformation of elemental sulfur mediated by the leaching bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was investigated using an integrated approach including scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES). Our results showed that when grown on elemental sulfur powder, At. ferrooxidans ATCC23270 cells were first attached to sulfur particles and modified the surface sulfur with some amphiphilic compounds. In addition, part of the elemental sulfur powder might be converted to polysulfides. Furthermore, sulfur globules were accumulated inside the cells. XANES spectra of these cells suggested that these globules consisted of elemental sulfur bound to thiol groups of protein.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education of China, School of Minerals Processing & Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, China. hehuan6819@126.com
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Cheng-Gui
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jin-Lan
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: An-An
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hong-Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Chen-Yan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yi-Dong
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhen-Yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Guan-Zhou
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D042763:Acidithiobacillus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001711:Biotransformation; D003470:Culture Media; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis / Q000379:methods*; D017348:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Transmission; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013440:Sulfides / Q000378:metabolism; D013455:Sulfur / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D013440:Sulfides; D013455:Sulfur; C032915:polysulfide