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Lithotrophic iron-oxidizing bacteria produce organic stalks to control mineral growth: implications for biosignature formation.
Open accessAbstract
Neutrophilic Fe-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) are often identified by their distinctive morphologies, such as the extracellular twisted ribbon-like stalks formed by Gallionella ferruginea or Mariprofundus ferrooxydans. Similar filaments preserved in silica are often identified as FeOB fossils in rocks. Although it is assumed that twisted iron stalks are indicative of FeOB, the stalk's metabolic role has not been established. To this end, we studied the marine FeOB M. ferrooxydans by light, X-ray and electron microscopy. Using time-lapse light microscopy, we observed cells excreting stalks during growth (averaging 2.2 μm h(-1)). Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy show that stalks are Fe(III)-rich, whereas cells are low in Fe. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that stalks are composed of several fibrils, which contain few-nanometer-sized iron oxyhydroxide crystals. Lepidocrocite crystals that nucleated on the fibril surface are much larger (∼100 nm), suggesting that mineral growth within fibrils is retarded, relative to sites surrounding fibrils. C and N 1s NEXAFS spectroscopy and fluorescence probing show that stalks primarily contain carboxyl-rich polysaccharides. On the basis of these results, we suggest a physiological model for Fe oxidation in which cells excrete oxidized Fe bound to organic polymers. These organic molecules retard mineral growth, preventing cell encrustation. This model describes an essential role for stalk formation in FeOB growth. We suggest that stalk-like morphologies observed in modern and ancient samples may be correlated confidently with the Fe-oxidizing metabolism as a robust biosignature.
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“They are often described as ecosystem engineers due to their capacity to shape the local environment by producing iron oxyhydroxide sheaths and stalks (Chan et al., 2011; Fleming et al., 2013; Scott et al., 2015).”
From Is It First the Egg or the Shrimp? – Diversity and Variation in Microbial Communities Colonizing Broods of the Vent Shrimp Rimicaris exoculata During Embryonic Development (2019) · cites this paper as Chan et al., 2011
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Metadata
- Authors
- Chan, C. S., Fakra, S. C., Emerson, D., Fleming, E. J., & Edwards, K. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Southern California (US)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US)
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (US)
- Corresponding author
- Chan, Clara S
- Venue
- The ISME Journal
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2010-11-25
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 717-727
- ISSN
- 1751-7362 (ISSN-L)
- 1751-7370
- PMC
- PMC3105749
- OpenAlex
- W2141074377
- Cited by
- 377
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 27
- FWCI
- 13.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The ISME Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion)
- University of North Texas Digital Library (University of North Texas) (submittedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (DEAC02-05CH11231)
- U.S. Department of Energy (-AC02-05CH11231, 05CH11231, DE AC02 05CH11231, DE-AC02-)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (DE-AC02-05CH11231)
- University of Delaware
- China Scholarship Council (DE-AC02-05CH11231)
- NASA Astrobiology Institute
- Office of Science (DEAC02–05CH11231, AC02-05CH11231, DE-AC02)
- Basic Energy Sciences (DE-AC02, DE-AC02-05CH11231., AC02–05CH11231)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Metals and Alloys › Metal Extraction and Bioleaching
- Keywords
- iron-oxidizing bacteria, Gallionella ferruginea, biosignatures, iron oxyhydroxide, bacterial morphology, iron oxidation, marine bacteria, time-lapse microscopy, NEXAFS spectroscopy
- MeSH terms
- Ferric Compounds, Iron, Minerals, Oxidation-Reduction, Proteobacteria
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