Bcr4 Is a Chaperone for the Inner Rod Protein in the Bordetella Type III Secretion System.

Bordetella bronchiseptica injects virulence proteins called effectors into host cells via a type III secretion system (T3SS) conserved among many Gram-negative bacteria. Small proteins called chaperones are required to stabilize some T3SS components or localize them to the T3SS machinery. In a previous study, we identified a chaperone-like protein named Bcr4 that regulates T3SS activity in B. bronchiseptica. Bcr4 does not show strong sequence similarity to well-studied T3SS proteins of other bacteria, and its function remains to be elucidated. Here, we investigated the mechanism by which Bcr4 controls T3SS activity. A pulldown assay revealed that Bcr4 interacts with BscI, based on its homology to other bacterial proteins, to be an inner rod protein of the T3SS machinery. An additional pulldown assay using truncated Bcr4 derivatives and secretion profiles of B. bronchiseptica producing truncated Bcr4 derivatives showed that the Bcr4 C-terminal region is necessary for the interaction with BscI and activation of the T3SS. Moreover, the deletion of BscI abolished the secretion of type III secreted proteins from B. bronchiseptica and the translocation of a cytotoxic effector into cultured mammalian cells. Finally, we show that BscI is unstable in the absence of Bcr4. These results suggest that Bcr4 supports the construction of the T3SS machinery by stabilizing BscI. This is the first demonstration of a chaperone for the T3SS inner rod protein among the virulence bacteria possessing the T3SS. IMPORTANCE The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a needle-like complex that projects outward from bacterial cells. Bordetella bronchiseptica uses the T3SS to inject virulence proteins into host cells. Our previous study reported that a protein named Bcr4 is essential for the secretion of virulence proteins from B. bronchiseptica bacterial cells and delivery through the T3SS. Because other bacteria lack a Bcr4 homologue, the function of Bcr4 has not been elucidated. In this study, we discovered that Bcr4 interacts with BscI, a component of the T3SS machinery. We show that a B. bronchiseptica BscI-deficient strain was unable to secrete type III secreted proteins. Furthermore, in a B. bronchiseptica strain that overproduces T3SS component proteins, Bcr4 is required to maintain BscI in bacterial cells. These results suggest that Bcr4 stabilizes BscI to allow construction of the T3SS in B. bronchiseptica.

Pal depletion results in hypervesiculation and affects cell morphology and outer-membrane lipid asymmetry in bordetellae.

Current vaccines against Bordetella pertussis do not prevent colonization and transmission of the bacteria, and vaccine-induced immunity wanes rapidly. Besides, efficacy of vaccines for Bordetella bronchiseptica remains unclear. Novel vaccines could be based on outer-membrane vesicles (OMVs), but vesiculation of bordetellae needs to be increased for cost-effective vaccine production. Here, we focused on increasing OMV production by reducing the anchoring of the outer membrane to the peptidoglycan layer. Inactivation of rmpM, tolR, and pal failed, presumably because their products are essential in bordetellae. Conditional pal mutants were constructed, which were hypervesiculating under Pal-depletion conditions. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analyses showed that the protein composition of OMVs produced under Pal-depletion conditions resembled that of the outer membrane but differed from that of OMVs released by the wild type. Pal depletion affected the cell morphology and appeared to increase the amounts of cell-surface-exposed phospholipids, possibly reflecting a role for the Tol-Pal system in retrograde phospholipid transport. We also identified additional lipoproteins in bordetellae with a putative peptidoglycan-anchoring domain. However, their inactivation did not influence OMV production. We conclude that the conditional pal mutants could be valuable for the development of OMV-based vaccines.

Bordetella Filamentous Hemagglutinin, a Model for the Two-Partner Secretion Pathway.

Bacteria use a variety of mechanisms to translocate proteins from the cytoplasm, where they are synthesized, to the cell surface or extracellular environment or directly into other cells, where they perform their ultimate functions. Type V secretion systems (T5SS) use ß-barrel transporter domains to export passenger domains across the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria. Distinct among T5SS are type Vb or two-partner secretion (TPS) systems in which the transporter and passenger are separate proteins, necessitating a mechanism for passenger-translocator recognition in the periplasm and providing the potential for reuse of the translocator. This review describes current knowledge of the TPS translocation mechanism, using Bordetella filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) and its transporter FhaC as a model. We present the hypothesis that the TPS pathway may be a general mechanism for contact-dependent delivery of toxins to target cells.

A comparative study of the complete lipopolysaccharide structures and biosynthesis loci of Bordetella avium, B. hinzii, and B. trematum.

A dozen species of human and animal pathogens have been described to date in the Bordetella genus, with the majority being respiratory tract pathogens. Bordetella avium lipopolysaccharides have been shown to be important virulence factors for this bird pathogen. B. hinzii is closely related to the B. avium species, but has also been isolated from humans. B. trematum is associated to ear and blood infections in humans. Its lipid A structure, the biological active moiety of LPS, was found to be closely related to those of B. avium and B. hinzii. It is important to unveil the subtle structural modifications orchestrated during the LPS biosynthetic pathway to better understand host adaptation. The present data are also important in the context of deciphering the virulence pathways of this important genus containing the major pathogens B. pertussis and B. parapertussis, responsible for whooping cough. We recently reported the isolated lipid A structures of the three presented species, following the previously identified O-chain structures. In the present study, we provide details on the free and O-chain-linked core oligosaccharides which were required to characterize the complete LPS structures. Data are presented here in relation to relevant biosynthesis genes. The present characterization of the three species is well illustrated by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Mass Spectrometry experiments, and data were obtained mainly on native LPS molecules for the first time.

A Novel Methylotrophic Bacterial Consortium for Treatment of Industrial Effluents.

Considering the importance of methylotrophs in industrial wastewater treatment, focus of the present study was on utilization of a methylotrophic bacterial consortium as a microbial seed for biotreatment of a variety of industrial effluents. For this purpose, a mixed bacterial methylotrophic AC (Ankleshwar CETP) consortium comprising of Bordetella petrii AC1, Bacillus licheniformis AC4, Salmonella subterranea AC5, and Pseudomonas stutzeri AC8 was used. The AC consortium showed efficient biotreatment of four industrial effluents procured from fertilizer, chemical and pesticide industries, and common effluent treatment plant by lowering their chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 950-2000 mg/l to below detection limit in 60-96 h in 6-l batch reactor and 9-15 days in 6-l continuous reactor. The operating variables of wastewater treatment, viz. COD, BOD, pH, MLSS, MLVSS, SVI, and F/M ratio of these effluents, were also maintained in the permissible range in both batch and continuous reactors. Therefore, formation of the AC consortium has led to the development of an efficient microbial seed capable of treating a variety of industrial effluents containing pollutants generated from their respective industries.

Mechanism of single- and double-sided inhibition of dual topology fluoride channels by synthetic monobodies.

The Fluc family of proteins comprises small, electrodiffusive fluoride channels, which prevent accumulation of toxic F- ions in microorganisms. Recent crystal structures have confirmed their unusual architecture, in which a pair of antiparallel subunits convenes to form a dimer with a twofold symmetry axis parallel to the plane of the membrane. These structures have also revealed the interactions between Fluc channels and several different fibronectin domain monobodies that inhibit Fluc-mediated F- currents; in all structures, each channel binds to two monobodies symmetrically, one on either side of the membrane. However, these structures do not reveal the mechanism of monobody inhibition. Moreover, the results appear to diverge from a recent electrophysiological study indicating that monobody binding is negatively cooperative; that is, a bound monobody on one side of a Fluc channel decreases the affinity of an oppositely bound monobody by ∼10-fold. In this study, we reconcile these observations by probing the mechanism of monobody binding and its negative cooperativity using electrophysiological experiments in planar lipid bilayers. Our results indicate that monobody inhibition occurs via a pore-blocking mechanism and that negative cooperativity arises from electrostatic repulsion between the oppositely bound monobodies. A single glutamate residue, on a loop of the monobody that extends into the channel interior, is responsible for negatively cooperative binding. This glutamate side chain also confers voltage dependence and sensitivity to the concentration of trans-F- ion to monobody binding. Neutralization by mutation to glutamine abolishes these electrostatic effects. Monobodies that are amenable to cocrystallization with Fluc channels lack an analogous negatively charged side chain and bind independently to opposite sides of the channel. Thus, this work reveals the source of voltage dependence and negative cooperativity of monobody binding to Fluc channels along with the pore-blocking mechanism.

Bacterial Metabolism in the Host Environment: Pathogen Growth and Nutrient Assimilation in the Mammalian Upper Respiratory Tract.

Pathogens evolve in specific host niches and microenvironments that provide the physical and nutritional requirements conducive to their growth. In addition to using the host as a source of food, bacterial pathogens must avoid the immune response to their presence. The mammalian upper respiratory tract is a site that is exposed to the external environment, and is readily colonized by bacteria that live as resident flora or as pathogens. These bacteria can remain localized, descend to the lower respiratory tract, or traverse the epithelium to disseminate throughout the body. By virtue of their successful colonization of the respiratory epithelium, these bacteria obtain the nutrients needed for growth, either directly from host resources or from other microbes. This chapter describes the upper respiratory tract environment, including its tissue and mucosal structure, prokaryotic biota, and biochemical composition that would support microbial life. Neisseria meningitidis and the Bordetella species are discussed as examples of bacteria that have no known external reservoirs but have evolved to obligately colonize the mammalian upper respiratory tract.

Biodegradation of endosulfan isomers and its metabolite endosulfate by two biosurfactant producing bacterial strains of Bordetella petrii.

The main objective of the investigation was to study the biodegradation of endosulfan isomers and its major metabolite endosulfate by two biosurfactant producing bacterial strains of Bordetella petrii. The significance of the study is to evaluate the capability of biosurfactant producing bacterial strains in enhancing the bioavailability of endosulfan. Sixty bacterial strains were isolated from the endosulfan degrading bacterial consortium and were screened for endosulfan degradation and biosurfactant production. Among those, two strains Bordetella petrii I GV 34 (Gene bank Accession No KJ02262) and Bordetella petrii II GV 36 (Gene bank Accession No KJ022625) were capable of degrading endosulfan with simultaneous biosurfactant production. Bordetella petrii I degraded 89% of α and 84% of ß isomers of endosulfan whereas Bordetella petrii II degraded 82% of both the isomers. Both the strains were able to reduce the surface tension up to 19.6% and 21.4% with a minimum observed surface tension of 45 Dynes/cm and 44 Dynes/cm, respectively. The study revealed that the strains have the potential to enhance the degradation endosulfan residues in contaminated sites and water by biosurfactant production.

Biodegradation of microcystin-LR and-RR by a novel microcystin-degrading bacterium isolated from Lake Taihu.

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) and microcystin-RR (MC-RR) are the two most common microcystins (MCs) present in fresh water posing a direct threat to public health because of their hepatotoxicity. A novel MC-degrading bacterium designated MC-LTH1 capable of degrading MC-LR and -RR was isolated, and the degradation rates and mechanisms of MC-LR and -RR for this bacterium were investigated. The bacterium was identified as Bordetella sp. and shown to possess a homologous mlrA gene responsible for degrading MCs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of mlrA gene detection in Bordetella species. MC-LR and -RR were completely degraded separately at rates of 0.31 mg/(L h) and 0.17 mg/(L h). However, the degradation rates of MC-LR and -RR decreased surprisingly to 0.27 mg/(L h) and 0.12 mg/(L h), respectively, when both of them were simultaneously present. Degradation products were identified by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Adda (m/z 332.2215, C20H29NO3) commonly known as a final product of MC degradation by isolated bacteria was detected as an intermediate in this study. Linearized MC-LR (m/z 1013.5638, C49H76N10O13), linearized MC-RR (m/z 1056.4970, C49H77N13O13), and tetrapeptide (m/z 615.3394, C32H46N4O8) were also detected as intermediates. These results indicate that the bacterial strain MC-LTH1 is quite efficient for the detoxification of MC-LR and MC-RR, and possesses significant bioremediation potential.

Characterization of the N-terminal domain of BteA: a Bordetella type III secreted cytotoxic effector.

BteA, a 69-kDa cytotoxic protein, is a type III secretion system (T3SS) effector in the classical Bordetella, the etiological agents of pertussis and related mammalian respiratory diseases. Currently there is limited information regarding the structure of BteA or its subdomains, and no insight as to the identity of its eukaryotic partners(s) and their modes of interaction with BteA. The mechanisms that lead to BteA dependent cell death also remain elusive. The N-terminal domain of BteA is multifunctional, acting as a docking platform for its cognate chaperone (BtcA) in the bacterium, and targeting the protein to lipid raft microdomains within the eukaryotic host cell. In this study we describe the biochemical and biophysical characteristics of this domain (BteA287) and determine its architecture. We characterize BteA287 as being a soluble and highly stable domain which is rich in alpha helical content. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments combined with size exclusion and analytical ultracentrifugation measurements confirm these observations and reveal BteA287 to be monomeric in nature with a tendency to oligomerize at concentrations above 200 µM. Furthermore, diffusion-NMR demonstrated that the first 31 residues of BteA287 are responsible for the apparent aggregation behavior of BteA287. Light scattering analyses and small angle X-ray scattering experiments reveal a prolate ellipsoidal bi-pyramidal dumb-bell shape. Thus, our biophysical characterization is a first step towards structure determination of the BteA N-terminal domain.

Development of a PCR for identification of Bordetella hinzii.

Bordetella hinzii infects primarily poultry and immunocompromised humans. It is closely related to the etiologic agent of turkey coryza, Bordetella avium. Distinguishing between B. avium and B. hinzii is difficult, and there is no method for identification of B. hinzii suitable for use by diagnostic laboratories. This report details the development of a B. hinzii-specific PCR targeting the ompA gene. Assay sensitivity is 100% based on analysis of 48 B. hinzii isolates from diverse geographic locations representing all known ribotypes. Evaluation of 71 isolates of B. avium and 20 other bacterial isolates from poultry, comprising gram-negative and gram-positive commensals and pathogens of nine genera, demonstrated an assay specificity of 100%. The ompA PCR is a rapid, reliable, and accurate method for identification of B. hinzii and provides a valuable new tool for veterinary diagnostic laboratories investigating poultry respiratory disease outbreaks.

Identification of a CO2 responsive regulon in Bordetella.

Sensing the environment allows pathogenic bacteria to coordinately regulate gene expression to maximize survival within or outside of a host. Here we show that Bordetella species regulate virulence factor expression in response to carbon dioxide levels that mimic in vivo conditions within the respiratory tract. We found strains of Bordetella bronchiseptica that did not produce adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) when grown in liquid or solid media with ambient air aeration, but produced ACT and additional antigens when grown in air supplemented to 5% CO(2). Transcriptome analysis and quantitative real time-PCR analysis revealed that strain 761, as well as strain RB50, increased transcription of genes encoding ACT, filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), pertactin, fimbriae and the type III secretion system in 5% CO(2) conditions, relative to ambient air. Furthermore, transcription of cyaA and fhaB in response to 5% CO(2) was increased even in the absence of BvgS. In vitro analysis also revealed increases in cytotoxicity and adherence when strains were grown in 5% CO(2). The human pathogens B. pertussis and B. parapertussis also increased transcription of several virulence factors when grown in 5% CO(2), indicating that this response is conserved among the classical bordetellae. Together, our data indicate that Bordetella species can sense and respond to physiologically relevant changes in CO(2) concentrations by regulating virulence factors important for colonization, persistence and evasion of the host immune response.

An antioxidant exopolysaccharide devoid of pro-oxidant activity produced by the soil bacterium Bordetella sp. B4.

An exopolysaccharide (EPS) with a molecular weight of 230 kDa, was isolated from Bordetella sp. B4. The EPS was identified as linear alpha-1,6-(6-methyl)-glucan with N-acetyl-D-glucosamine branches at alpha-1, 4-linkages by IR and NMR spectroscopy. The free radical scavenging capacities of EPS on 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS(+)), H(2)O(2), -OH and lipid peroxidation were 2-, 86-, 134- and 18-fold higher than that of ascorbic acid, respectively. Compared with ascorbic acid, the EPS was more effective in preventing DNA and protein from free radical damage induced by 2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH). More significantly, the EPS did not degrade DNA and protein by the pro-oxidant effect in the presence of copper ions and H(2)O(2). Furthermore, EPS could protect human umbilical vein endothelium cells (HUVECs) from high glucose-mediated damage. The production of EPS reached 10.2 g/L in the fermentation medium containing 3.0 g/L cholesterol, suggesting that Bordetella sp. B4 was a potential producer of antioxidant EPS.

Iron and pH-responsive FtrABCD ferrous iron utilization system of Bordetella species.

A putative operon encoding an uncharacterized ferrous iron transport (FtrABCD) system was previously identified in cDNA microarray studies. In growth studies using buffered medium at pH values ranging from pH 6.0 to 7.6, Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica FtrABCD system mutants showed dramatic reductions in growth yields under iron-restricted conditions at pH 6.0, but had no growth defects at pH 7.6. Supplementation of culture medium with 2 mM ascorbate reductant was inhibitory to alcaligin siderophore-dependent growth at pH 7.6, but had a neglible effect on FtrABCD system-dependent iron assimilation at pH 6.0 consistent with its predicted specificity for ferrous iron. Unlike Bordetella siderophore-dependent and haem iron transport systems, and in agreement with its hypothesized role in transport of inorganic iron from periplasm to cytoplasm, FtrABCD system function did not require the TonB energy transduction complex. Gene fusion analysis revealed that ftrABCD promoter activity was maximal under iron-restricted growth conditions at acidic pH. The pH of human airway surface fluids ranges from pH 5.5 to 7.9, and the FtrABCD system may supply ferrous iron necessary for Bordetella growth in acidic host microenvironments in which siderophores are ineffective for iron retrieval.

Strategies to alleviate original antigenic sin responses to influenza viruses.

Original antigenic sin is a phenomenon wherein sequential exposure to closely related influenza virus variants reduces antibody (Ab) response to novel antigenic determinants in the second strain and, consequently, impairs the development of immune memory. This could pose a risk to the development of immune memory in persons previously infected with or vaccinated against influenza. Here, we explored strategies to overcome original antigenic sin responses in mice sequentially exposed to two closely related hemagglutinin 1 neuraminidase 1 (H1N1) influenza strains A/PR/8/34 and A/FM/1/47. We found that dendritic cell-activating adjuvants [Bordetella pertussis toxin (PT) or CpG ODN or a squalene-based oil-in-water nanoemulsion (NE)], upon administration during the second viral exposure, completely protected mice from a lethal challenge and enhanced neutralizing-Ab titers against the second virus. Interestingly, PT and NE adjuvants when administered during the first immunization even prevented original antigenic sin in subsequent immunization without any adjuvants. As an alternative to using adjuvants, we also found that repeated immunization with the second viral strain relieved the effects of original antigenic sin. Taken together, our studies provide at least three ways of overcoming original antigenic sin.

Oxidation of arsenite by two ß-proteobacteria isolated from soil.

Two heterotrophic As(III)-oxidizing bacteria, SPB-24 and SPB-31 were isolated from garden soil. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain SPB-24 was closely related to genus Bordetella, and strain SPB-31 was most closely related to genus Achromobacter. Both strains exhibited high As(III) (15 mM for SPB-24 and 40 mM for SPB-31) and As(V) (>300 mM for both strains) resistance. Both strains oxidized 5 mM As(III) in minimal medium with oxidation rate of 554 and 558 µM h(-1) for SPB-24 and SPB-31, respectively. Washed cells of both strains oxidized As(III) over broad pH and temperature range with optimum pH 6 and temperature 42°C for both strains. The As(III) oxidation kinetic by washed cells showed K (m) and V (max) values of 41.7 µM and 1,166 µM h(-1) for SPB-24, 52 µM and 1,186 µM h(-1) for SPB-31. In the presence of minimal amount of carbon source, the strains showed high As(III) oxidation rate and high specific arsenite oxidase activity. The ability of strains to resist high concentration of arsenic and oxidize As(III) with highest rates reported so far makes them potential candidates for bioremediation of arsenic-contaminated environment.

BpsR modulates Bordetella biofilm formation by negatively regulating the expression of the Bps polysaccharide.

Bordetella bacteria are Gram-negative respiratory pathogens of animals, birds, and humans. A hallmark feature of some Bordetella species is their ability to efficiently survive in the respiratory tract even after vaccination. Bordetella bronchiseptica and Bordetella pertussis form biofilms on abiotic surfaces and in the mouse respiratory tract. The Bps exopolysaccharide is one of the critical determinants for biofilm formation and the survival of Bordetella in the murine respiratory tract. In order to gain a better understanding of regulation of biofilm formation, we sought to study the mechanism by which Bps expression is controlled in Bordetella. Expression of bpsABCD (bpsA-D) is elevated in biofilms compared with levels in planktonically grown cells. We found that bpsA-D is expressed independently of BvgAS. Subsequently, we identified an open reading frame (ORF), BB1771 (designated here bpsR), that is located upstream of and in the opposite orientation to the bpsA-D locus. BpsR is homologous to the MarR family of transcriptional regulators. Measurement of bpsA and bpsD transcripts and the Bps polysaccharide levels from the wild-type and the ΔbpsR strains suggested that BpsR functions as a repressor. Consistent with enhanced production of Bps, the bpsR mutant displayed considerably more structured biofilms. We mapped the bpsA-D promoter region and showed that purified BpsR protein specifically bound to the bpsA-D promoter. Our results provide mechanistic insights into the regulatory strategy employed by Bordetella for control of the production of the Bps polysaccharide and biofilm formation.

Bordetella dermonecrotic toxin binds to target cells via the N-terminal 30 amino acids.

Bordetella dermonecrotic toxin (DNT) affects the biological function of host cells by activating intracellular Rho GTPases. The toxin binds to unidentified receptor(s) via 54 N-terminal amino acids, undergoes intramolecular cleavage on the C-terminal side of Arg(44) by furin or furin-like protease, and eventually enters the cytoplasm where the Rho GTPases reside. The binding to the receptor(s) and intramolecular cleavage are essential for DNT to intoxicate cells, and the 54 amino-acid binding domain encompasses the cleavage site, however, it is unclear whether these two events are related. In this study, we could narrow down the cell-binding domain to the N-terminal amino acids 2-30. The region does not contain the furin-recognition site, indicating that the cell binding and the intramolecular cleavage are independent events.

Association of Bordetella dermonecrotic toxin with the extracellular matrix.

BACKGROUND: Bordetella dermonecrotic toxin (DNT) causes the turbinate atrophy in swine atrophic rhinitis, caused by a Bordetella bronchiseptica infection of pigs, by inhibiting osteoblastic differentiation. The toxin is not actively secreted from the bacteria, and is presumed to be present in only small amounts in infected areas. How such small amounts can affect target tissues is unknown. RESULTS: Fluorescence microscopy revealed that DNT associated with a fibrillar structure developed on cultured cells. A cellular component cross-linked with DNT conjugated with a cross-linker was identified as fibronectin by mass spectrometry. Colocalization of the fibronectin network on the cells with DNT was also observed by fluorescence microscope. Several lines of evidence suggested that DNT interacts with fibronectin not directly, but through another cellular component that remains to be identified. The colocalization was observed in not only DNT-sensitive cells but also insensitive cells, indicating that the fibronectin network neither serves as a receptor for the toxin nor is involved in the intoxicating procedures. The fibronectin network-associated toxin was easily liberated when the concentration of toxin in the local environment decreased, and was still active. CONCLUSIONS: Components in the extracellular matrix are known to regulate activities of various growth factors by binding and liberating them in response to alterations in the extracellular environment. Similarly, the fibronectin-based extracellular matrix may function as a temporary storage system for DNT, enabling small amounts of the toxin to efficiently affect target tissues or cells.

Hydrogen sulfide degradation characteristics of Bordetella sp. Sulf-8 in a biotrickling filter.

The applicability of Bordetella sp. Sulf-8 to degrade Hydrogen Sulfide (H(2)S) gas in a biotrickling system was investigated. The isolate is a heterotrophic gram-negative, catalase- and oxidase-positive, rod-shaped bacterium which can metabolize thiosulfate or sulfide into sulfate. The mesophilic Bordetella sp. Sulf-8 can grow within a wide pH range using yeast as carbon source, with or without the presence of sulfur. In batch experiments, kinetic constants such as maximum specific growth rate (µ (max) = 0.12 1/h), saturation constant (K (S) = 0.017 g/L), and specific sulfur removal rate (88 mg S/g cells h) were obtained. In biotrickling experiments removal efficiencies were satisfactory, but the system performance was observed to be more influenced by empty bed residence time than by H(2)S feed gas concentration. Critical and maximum elimination capacities were 78.0 and 94.5 g H(2)S/m(3) day, respectively. Macrokinetic analysis of the biotrickling system revealed maximum H(2)S removal rate V (max) = 15.97 g S/kg media-day and half saturation constant K (S') = 12.45 ppm(v).