TY - JOUR

T1 - Acidithrix ferrooxidans gen. nov., sp. nov.; a filamentous and obligately heterotrophic, acidophilic member of the Actinobacteria that catalyzes dissimilatory oxido-reduction of iron

AU - Jones, R.M.

AU - Johnson, D.B.

PY - 2015/1/29

Y1 - 2015/1/29

N2 - A novel acidophilic member of the phylum Actinobacteria was isolated from an acidic stream draining an abandoned copper mine in north Wales. The isolate (PY-F3) was demonstrated to be a heterotroph that catalyzed the oxidation of ferrous iron (but not of sulfur or hydrogen) under aerobic conditions, and the reduction of ferric iron under micro-aerobic and anaerobic conditions. PY-F3 formed long entangled filaments of cells (>50 μm long) during active growth phases, though these degenerated into smaller fragments and single cells in late stationary phase. Although isolate PY-F3 was not observed to grow below pH 2.0 and 10 °C, harvested biomass was found to oxidize ferrous iron at relatively fast rates at pH 1.5 and 5 °C. Phylogenetic analysis, based on comparisons of 16S rRNA gene sequences, showed that isolate PY-F3 has 91–93% gene similarity to those of the four classified genera and species of acidophilic Actinobacteria, and therefore is a representative of a novel genus. The binomial Acidithrix ferrooxidans is proposed for this new species, with PY-F3 as the designated type strain (=DSM 28176T, =JCM 19728T).

AB - A novel acidophilic member of the phylum Actinobacteria was isolated from an acidic stream draining an abandoned copper mine in north Wales. The isolate (PY-F3) was demonstrated to be a heterotroph that catalyzed the oxidation of ferrous iron (but not of sulfur or hydrogen) under aerobic conditions, and the reduction of ferric iron under micro-aerobic and anaerobic conditions. PY-F3 formed long entangled filaments of cells (>50 μm long) during active growth phases, though these degenerated into smaller fragments and single cells in late stationary phase. Although isolate PY-F3 was not observed to grow below pH 2.0 and 10 °C, harvested biomass was found to oxidize ferrous iron at relatively fast rates at pH 1.5 and 5 °C. Phylogenetic analysis, based on comparisons of 16S rRNA gene sequences, showed that isolate PY-F3 has 91–93% gene similarity to those of the four classified genera and species of acidophilic Actinobacteria, and therefore is a representative of a novel genus. The binomial Acidithrix ferrooxidans is proposed for this new species, with PY-F3 as the designated type strain (=DSM 28176T, =JCM 19728T).

U2 - 10.1016/j.resmic.2015.01.003

DO - 10.1016/j.resmic.2015.01.003

M3 - Article

VL - 166

SP - 111

EP - 120

JO - Research in Microbiology

JF - Research in Microbiology

SN - 0923-2508

IS - 2

ER -