The growth, ferrous iron oxidation and ultrastructure of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in the presence of dibutyl phthalate.

ABSTRACT

The iron-oxidizing bacteria Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is an example of strictly chemolitotrophic extremophile occurring in acidic environments. The prime niche of these microorganisms is an environment with low pH and high concentrations of iron, sulfide minerals or sulfur. Besides these environments, A. ferrooxidans is also isolated from heavy metal contaminated environments such as soil and sewage sludge and is known to be useful in bioremediation processes of these environments. In the current study, the influence of dibutyl phthalate on the growth, activity and ultrastructure of A. ferrooxidans ATCC19859 was shown. The presence of dibutyl phthalate in 9K medium did not influence A. ferrooxidans growth or ability to oxidize ferrous iron although changes in growth medium were accompanied by changes in the protein expression profiles of periplasmic fractions and remarkable changes in ultrastructure of the cell.