Investigation of the Properties of Sand Tubules, a Biomineralization Product, and their Microbial Community.
Sand tubules, made up of sand grains cemented by microbe-induced calcium carbonate precipitation, have been found in China's Ningxia Province. Sand tubules grow like a tree's roots about 40-60 cm below the surface. The properties of sand tubules and their bacterial community were examined. X-Ray diffraction analysis revealed that the sand tubules were associated with crystalline calcite. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the crystalline solid had a lamellar structure and lacked the presence of cells, suggesting that no bacteria acted as nucleation sites, nor that the crystalline solid was formed by the aggregation of bacteria. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis showed 11 of the 12 detectable bands were uncultured bacteria by BLAST analysis in the GenBank database, and the rest were closely related to Paenibacillus sp. (100% identity). By cultivation techniques, the only strain isolated from the sand tubule was suggested to be related to Paenibacillus sp.; no archaea were found. Furthermore, Paenibacillus sp. was demonstrated to induce calcium carbonate precipitation in vitro.
School of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Zhejiang 310035, P.R. China.
Weilian
W
Hu
School of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Zhejiang 310035, P.R. China.
Dehui
D
Dai
D001105:Archaea; D001419:Bacteria; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D002681:China; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D058645:Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000235:genetics; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D056507:Paenibacillus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D002119:Calcium Carbonate
Biomineralization; Calcium carbonate; DGGE; Paenibacillus sp.; Sand tubule