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AHL signaling molecules with a large acyl chain enhance biofilm formation on sulfur and metal sulfides by the bioleaching bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

  • Environmental biotechnology
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Abstract

Biofilm formation plays a pivotal role in bioleaching activities of bacteria in both industrial and natural environments. Here, by visualizing attached bacterial cells on energetic substrates with different microscopy techniques, we obtained the first direct evidence that it is possible to positively modulate biofilm formation of the extremophilic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans on sulfur and pyrite surfaces by using Quorum Sensing molecules of the N-acylhomoserine lactone type (AHLs). Our results revealed that AHL-signaling molecules with a long acyl chain (12 or 14 carbons) increased the adhesion of A. ferrooxidans cells to these substrates. In addition, Card-Fish experiments demonstrated that C14-AHL improved the adhesion of indigenous A. ferrooxidans cells from a mixed bioleaching community to pyrite. Finally, we demonstrated that this improvement of cell adhesion is correlated with an increased production of extracellular polymeric substances. Our results open up a promising means to develop new strategies for the improvement of bioleaching efficiency and metal recovery, which could also be used to control environmental damage caused by acid mine/rock drainage.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants FONDECYT 1080441, FONDECYT 1120295, and CNRS-CONICYT (PICS no. 5270). Alex González was supported by scholarships from CONICYT. Sören Bellenberg and Mario Vera acknowledge the financial support of the program of promotion of Young Scientists from University of Duisburg-Essen. We thank Dr. Michael Handford (Universidad de Chile) for proof-reading the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Bacterial Communication, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Alex González, Sigde Mamani, Lina Ruiz & Nicolas Guiliani

  2. Biofilm Centre Aquatische Biotechnologie, Universität Duisburg–Essen, Essen, Germany

    Sören Bellenberg, Wolfgang Sand & Mario Vera

  3. CNRS, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Université de la Mediterranée, Faculté des Sciences de Luminy, Marseille, France

    Sigde Mamani

  4. Biotechnology Center, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofogasta, Chile

    Alex Echeverría & Cecilia Demergasso

  5. ICBMS, Chimie Organique et Bioorganique, INSA Lyon, UMR 5246 CNRS, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France

    Laurent Soulère, Alain Doutheau & Yves Queneau

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  1. Alex González
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  2. Sören Bellenberg
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Correspondence to Nicolas Guiliani.

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Alex González and Sören Bellenberg contributed equally to this work.

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González, A., Bellenberg, S., Mamani, S. et al. AHL signaling molecules with a large acyl chain enhance biofilm formation on sulfur and metal sulfides by the bioleaching bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 97, 3729–3737 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-012-4229-3

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