Functions and Unique Diversity of Genes and Microorganisms Involved in Arsenite Oxidation from the Tailings of a Realgar Mine.
The tailings of the Shimen realgar mine have unique geochemical features. Arsenite oxidation is one of the major biogeochemical processes that occurs in the tailings. However, little is known about the functional and molecular aspects of the microbial community involved in arsenite oxidation. Here, we fully explored the functional and molecular features of the microbial communities from the tailings of the Shimen realgar mine. We collected six samples of tailings from sites A, B, C, D, E, and F. Microcosm assays indicated that all of the six sites contain both chemoautotrophic and heterotrophic arsenite-oxidizing microorganisms; their activities differed considerably from each other. The microbial arsenite-oxidizing activities show a positive correlation with soluble arsenic concentrations. The microbial communities of the six sites contain 40 phyla of bacteria and 2 phyla of archaea that show extremely high diversity. Soluble arsenic, sulfate, pH, and total organic carbon (TOC) are the key environmental factors that shape the microbial communities. We further identified 114 unique arsenite oxidase genes from the samples; all of them code for new or new-type arsenite oxidases. We also isolated 10 novel arsenite oxidizers from the samples, of which 4 are chemoautotrophic and 6 are heterotrophic. These data highlight the unique diversities of the arsenite-oxidizing microorganisms and their oxidase genes from the tailings of the Shimen realgar mine. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the functional and molecular features of microbial communities from the tailings of a realgar mine.



This study focused on the functional and molecular characterizations of microbial communities from the tailings of the Shimen realgar mine. We fully explored, for the first time, the arsenite-oxidizing activities and the functional gene diversities of microorganisms from the tailings, as well as the correlation of the microbial activities/diversities with environmental factors. The findings of this study help us to better understand the diversities of the arsenite-oxidizing bacteria and the geochemical cycle of arsenic in the tailings of the Shimen realgar mine and gain insights into the microbial mechanisms by which the secondary minerals of the tailings were formed. This work also offers a set of unique arsenite-oxidizing bacteria for basic research of the molecular regulation of arsenite oxidation in bacterial cells and for the environmentally friendly bioremediation of arsenic-contaminated groundwater.
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology and Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China xianchun.zeng@gmail.com.
Xian-Chun
XC
Zeng
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology and Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
Guoji
G
E
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology and Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
Jianing
J
Wang
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology and Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
Nian
N
Wang
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology and Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
Xiaoming
X
Chen
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology and Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
Yao
Y
Mu
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology and Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
Hao
H
Li
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology and Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
Ye
Y
Yang
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology and Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
Yichen
Y
Liu
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology and Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
Yanxin
Y
Wang
D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018053:Arsenites / Q000378:metabolism*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008906:Mining; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny
D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D018053:Arsenites; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C078179:arsenite oxidase; C015001:arsenite
Environ Microbiol. 2008 Nov;10(11):2966-78
18707610
Front Microbiol. 2014 Nov 21;5:602
25484877
Environ Sci Technol. 2005 Dec 15;39(24):9569-73
16475337
Environ Geochem Health. 2010 Apr;32(2):95-105
19548094
J Biol Chem. 1992 Nov 25;267(33):23674-82
1331097
Nat Methods. 2013 Oct;10(10):996-8
23955772
Environ Geochem Health. 2012 Dec;34(6):677-87
23053927
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2011 Jul;77(13):4685-92
21571879
J Hazard Mater. 2013 Nov 15;262:989-96
22954601
Water Res. 2003 Jul;37(12):2929-36
12767295
Structure. 2001 Nov;9(11):1071-81
11709171
PLoS One. 2014 Oct 09;9(10):e108185
25299175
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2005 Oct 29;360(1462):1935-43
16214751
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2004 Mar;70(3):1865-8
15006819
Environ Microbiol. 2007 Apr;9(4):934-43
17359265
Water Res. 2016 Sep 15;101:393-401
27288673
Environ Microbiol. 2009 Feb;11(2):421-31
19196273
PLoS One. 2015 May 13;10(5):e0125844
25970606
Environ Microbiol. 2006 May;8(5):899-908
16623746
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008 Jul;74(14):4567-73
18502920
PLoS One. 2012;7(6):e40059
22768219
Biodegradation. 2012 Nov;23(6):803-12
22760225
Environ Microbiol. 2013 Sep;15(9):2431-44
23574280
Environ Sci Technol. 2002 Feb 1;36(3):381-6
11871552
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2013 Aug;79(15):4635-42
23709511
FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2008 Nov;66(2):401-10
18717738
Science. 2003 May 9;300(5621):939-44
12738852
Nat Methods. 2010 May;7(5):335-6
20383131
Structure. 2001 Feb 7;9(2):125-32
11250197
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Oct 15;89(20):9474-8
1409657
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2007 Mar 16;354(3):662-7
17257587
Chemosphere. 2006 Jun;64(3):492-6
16426662
FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2013 Mar;83(3):745-56
23066664
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2000 Jan;66(1):92-7
10618208
Environ Sci Technol. 2015 Apr 7;49(7):4193-9
25734617
Environ Microbiol. 2001 Aug;3(8):532-42
11578314
Environ Sci Technol. 2013 Jun 18;47(12 ):6263-71
23668621
Nature. 2004 Jul 1;430(6995):68-71
15229598
Water Res. 2014 Dec 1;66:242-53
25222328
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2002 Oct;68(10):4795-802
12324322
Environ Sci Technol. 2003 Sep 15;37(18):4182-9
14524451
Arch Microbiol. 2012 Jul;194(7):623-35
22350109
Curr Opin Microbiol. 2003 Oct;6(5):498-505
14572543
J Hazard Mater. 2013 Nov 15;262:915-23
22999019
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Jul 25;103(30):11352-7
16844781
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2010 Jul;76(13):4566-70
20453153
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2002 Jan;68(1):280-8
11772637
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2009 Dec;75(23):7537-41
19801464
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008 May;74(9):2588-94
18326681
Water Res. 2005 Jan;39(1):199-209
15607178
Annu Rev Microbiol. 2001;55:709-42
11544372
PLoS One. 2009 Aug 20;4(8):e6669
19693277
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2010 Oct;76(20):6804-11
20729322