title: Microbial communities, processes and functions in acid mine drainage ecosystems.
abstract: Acid mine drainage (AMD) is generated from the oxidative dissolution of metal sulfides when water and oxygen are available largely due to human mining activities. This process can be accelerated by indigenous microorganisms. In the last several decades, culture-dependent researches have uncovered and validated the roles of AMD microorganisms in metal sulfides oxidation and acid generation processes, and culture-independent studies have largely revealed the diversity and metabolic potentials and activities of AMD communities, leading towards a full understanding of the microbial diversity, functions and interactions in AMD ecosystems. This review describes the diversity of microorganisms and their functions in AMD ecosystems, and discusses their biotechnological applications in biomining and AMD bioremediation according to their capabilities.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Lin-xing
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Li-nan
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA.
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Méndez-García
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Jia-liang
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Zheng-shuang
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China. Electronic address: shuws@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Wen-sheng
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Shu
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D017753:Ecosystem; D006801:Humans; D008906:Mining; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000143:Acids; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical