title: Global transcriptional responses of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans Wenelen under different sulfide minerals.
abstract: In order to provide new information about the adaptation of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans during the bioleaching process, the current analysis presents the first report of the global transcriptional response of the native copper mine strain Wenelen (DSM 16786) oxidized under different sulfide minerals. Microarrays were used to measure the response of At. ferrooxidans Wenelen to shifts from iron supplemented liquid cultures (reference state) to the addition of solid substrates enriched in pyrite or chalcopyrite. Genes encoding for energy metabolism showed a similar transcriptional profile for the two sulfide minerals. Interestingly, four operons related to sulfur metabolism were over-expressed during growth on a reduced sulfur source. Genes associated with metal tolerance (RND and ATPases type P) were up-regulated in the presence of pyrite or chalcopyrite. These results suggest that At. ferrooxidans Wenelen presents an efficient transcriptional system developed to respond to environmental conditions, namely the ability to withstand high copper concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Mathomics, Center for Mathematical Modeling, Universidad de Chile, Beauchef 851, 7th Floor, Santiago, Chile; Center for Genome Regulation (Fondap 15090007), Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2085, Santiago, Chile; Laboratorio de Bioinformática y Expresión Génica, INTA, Universidad de Chile, El Líbano 5524, Macul, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Latorre
authors.affiliation: BioSigma S.A., Loteo Los Libertadores, Lote 106, Colina, Chile; Austral Biotech S.A., Francisco Noguera 41, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ehrenfeld
authors.affiliation: Mathomics, Center for Mathematical Modeling, Universidad de Chile, Beauchef 851, 7th Floor, Santiago, Chile; Center for Genome Regulation (Fondap 15090007), Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2085, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: María Paz
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Cortés
authors.affiliation: Mathomics, Center for Mathematical Modeling, Universidad de Chile, Beauchef 851, 7th Floor, Santiago, Chile; Center for Genome Regulation (Fondap 15090007), Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2085, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Dante
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Travisany
authors.affiliation: Mathomics, Center for Mathematical Modeling, Universidad de Chile, Beauchef 851, 7th Floor, Santiago, Chile; Center for Genome Regulation (Fondap 15090007), Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2085, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Budinich
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aravena
authors.affiliation: Center for Genome Regulation (Fondap 15090007), Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2085, Santiago, Chile; Laboratorio de Bioinformática y Expresión Génica, INTA, Universidad de Chile, El Líbano 5524, Macul, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: BioSigma S.A., Loteo Los Libertadores, Lote 106, Colina, Chile.
authors.forename: Roberto A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bobadilla-Fazzini
authors.affiliation: BioSigma S.A., Loteo Los Libertadores, Lote 106, Colina, Chile.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parada
authors.affiliation: Mathomics, Center for Mathematical Modeling, Universidad de Chile, Beauchef 851, 7th Floor, Santiago, Chile; Center for Genome Regulation (Fondap 15090007), Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2085, Santiago, Chile; BioSigma S.A., Loteo Los Libertadores, Lote 106, Colina, Chile; Department of Mathematical Engineering, Universidad de Chile, Beauchef 851, 5th Floor, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: amaass@dim.uchile.cl.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maass
mesh_terms: D042763:Acidithiobacillus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000494:pharmacology; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D007501:Iron / Q000494:pharmacology; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008906:Mining; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013440:Sulfides / Q000494:pharmacology; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D013440:Sulfides; C012819:chalcopyrite; C011342:pyrite; D013455:Sulfur; D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron
keywords: Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans; Bioleaching; Copper resistance; Microarrays; Sulfur minerals