title: Monofluorophosphate is a selective inhibitor of respiratory sulfate-reducing microorganisms.
abstract: Despite the environmental and economic cost of microbial sulfidogenesis in industrial operations, few compounds are known as selective inhibitors of respiratory sulfate reducing microorganisms (SRM), and no study has systematically and quantitatively evaluated the selectivity and potency of SRM inhibitors. Using general, high-throughput assays to quantitatively evaluate inhibitor potency and selectivity in a model sulfate-reducing microbial ecosystem as well as inhibitor specificity for the sulfate reduction pathway in a model SRM, we screened a panel of inorganic oxyanions. We identified several SRM selective inhibitors including selenate, selenite, tellurate, tellurite, nitrate, nitrite, perchlorate, chlorate, monofluorophosphate, vanadate, molydate, and tungstate. Monofluorophosphate (MFP) was not known previously as a selective SRM inhibitor, but has promising characteristics including low toxicity to eukaryotic organisms, high stability at circumneutral pH, utility as an abiotic corrosion inhibitor, and low cost. MFP remains a potent inhibitor of SRM growing by fermentation, and MFP is tolerated by nitrate and perchlorate reducing microorganisms. For SRM inhibition, MFP is synergistic with nitrite and chlorite, and could enhance the efficacy of nitrate or perchlorate treatments. Finally, MFP inhibition is multifaceted. Both inhibition of the central sulfate reduction pathway and release of cytoplasmic fluoride ion are implicated in the mechanism of MFP toxicity.
authors.affiliation: †Energy Biosciences Institute, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
authors.forename: Hans K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.affiliation: ∥Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
authors.forename: Magdalena K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Stoeva
authors.affiliation: ‡Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
authors.forename: Nicholas B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Justice
authors.affiliation: ⊥Department of Bioengineering, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sczesnak
authors.affiliation: †Energy Biosciences Institute, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mullan
authors.affiliation: †Energy Biosciences Institute, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
authors.forename: Lorraine A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Mosqueda
authors.affiliation: ‡Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
authors.forename: Jennifer V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Kuehl
authors.affiliation: ‡Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
authors.forename: Adam M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Deutschbauer
authors.affiliation: ‡Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.|⊥Department of Bioengineering, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
authors.forename: Adam P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Arkin
authors.affiliation: †Energy Biosciences Institute, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.|§Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.|∥Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Coates
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis / Q000187:drug effects; D000838:Anions; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology; D003901:Desulfovibrio / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D005285:Fermentation / Q000187:drug effects; D005459:Fluorides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D007477:Ions; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009573:Nitrites / Q000494:pharmacology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D010710:Phosphates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism*; D013440:Sulfides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D002712:Chlorides; D007477:Ions; D009573:Nitrites; D010710:Phosphates; D013431:Sulfates; D013440:Sulfides; C012980:fluorophosphate; D005459:Fluorides; D010100:Oxygen; C001599:chlorite