[Microbial diversity and characteristics of cultivable microorganisms in bioleaching reactors].
OBJECTIVE
In order to study the microbial diversity and the characteristics of cultivable microorganisms in bioleaching reactors.


METHODS
Both conventional culture technique and analysis of a 16S rRNA sequence library were used. The pure cultures were isolated by enriching the samples under different cultural conditions. The morphology characters, physiology and biochemistry characters, genetic characters and oxidation efficiency to different minerals of cultured isolates were analyzed.


RESULTS
The microbial community in bioleaching reactors identified through the gene clone libraries were closely related to bacteria including Leptospirillum sp., Sulfobacillus sp., Acidithiobacillus sp., Spingomonas sp. and Archaea including Sulfolobus sp., Ferroplasma sp. Five strains were isolated after enriching and culturing, which were corresponding to Acidithiooxidians caldus, Acidithiooxidians thiooxidans, Acidithiooxidans ferrooxidans, Leptospirillum ferriphilum and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans. These isolates could oxidize sulfur or Fe2+ and different sulfide ores.


CONCLUSIONS
The bioleaching reactors were dominated by a small number of microbial species that were commonly found at thermoacidophilic environments.
Liu
Yanyang
Y
Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. liuyy515@hotmail.com
Guo
Xu
X
Jiang
Chengying
C
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D044822:Biodiversity; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D013440:Sulfides / Q000378:metabolism
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D013440:Sulfides