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Microbiomes in a manganese oxide producing ecosystem in the Ytterby mine, Sweden : impact on metal mobility

Sjöberg, Susanne ; Stairs, Courtney W LU orcid ; Allard, Bert ; Homa, Felix ; Martin, Tom ; Sjöberg, Viktor ; Ettema, Thijs J G and Dupraz, Christophe (2020) In FEMS Microbiology Ecology 96(11).
Abstract

Microbe-mediated precipitation of Mn-oxides enriched in rare earth elements (REE) and other trace elements was discovered in tunnels leading to the main shaft of the Ytterby mine, Sweden. Defining the spatial distribution of microorganisms and elements in this ecosystem provide a better understanding of specific niches and parameters driving the emergence of these communities and associated mineral precipitates. Along with elemental analyses, high-throughput sequencing of the following four subsystems were conducted: (i) water seeping from a rock fracture into the tunnel, (ii) Mn-oxides and associated biofilm; referred to as the Ytterby Black Substance (YBS) biofilm (iii) biofilm forming bubbles on the Mn-oxides; referred to as the... (More)

Microbe-mediated precipitation of Mn-oxides enriched in rare earth elements (REE) and other trace elements was discovered in tunnels leading to the main shaft of the Ytterby mine, Sweden. Defining the spatial distribution of microorganisms and elements in this ecosystem provide a better understanding of specific niches and parameters driving the emergence of these communities and associated mineral precipitates. Along with elemental analyses, high-throughput sequencing of the following four subsystems were conducted: (i) water seeping from a rock fracture into the tunnel, (ii) Mn-oxides and associated biofilm; referred to as the Ytterby Black Substance (YBS) biofilm (iii) biofilm forming bubbles on the Mn-oxides; referred to as the bubble biofilm and (iv) fracture water that has passed through the biofilms. Each subsystem hosts a specific collection of microorganisms. Differentially abundant bacteria in the YBS biofilm were identified within the Rhizobiales (e.g. Pedomicrobium), PLTA13 Gammaproteobacteria, Pirellulaceae, Hyphomonadaceae, Blastocatellia and Nitrospira. These taxa, likely driving the Mn-oxide production, were not detected in the fracture water. This biofilm binds Mn, REE and other trace elements in an efficient, dynamic process, as indicated by substantial depletion of these metals from the fracture water as it passes through the Mn deposit zone. Microbe-mediated oxidation of Mn(II) and formation of Mn(III/IV)-oxides can thus have considerable local environmental impact by removing metals from aquatic environments.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
in
FEMS Microbiology Ecology
volume
96
issue
11
article number
fiaa169
pages
17 pages
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85094933341
  • pmid:32815988
ISSN
1574-6941
DOI
10.1093/femsec/fiaa169
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS.
id
1f6ea3e8-c241-435b-946f-716d91223f0e
date added to LUP
2020-11-02 10:01:06
date last changed
2024-04-03 13:40:49
@article{1f6ea3e8-c241-435b-946f-716d91223f0e,
  abstract     = {{<p>Microbe-mediated precipitation of Mn-oxides enriched in rare earth elements (REE) and other trace elements was discovered in tunnels leading to the main shaft of the Ytterby mine, Sweden. Defining the spatial distribution of microorganisms and elements in this ecosystem provide a better understanding of specific niches and parameters driving the emergence of these communities and associated mineral precipitates. Along with elemental analyses, high-throughput sequencing of the following four subsystems were conducted: (i) water seeping from a rock fracture into the tunnel, (ii) Mn-oxides and associated biofilm; referred to as the Ytterby Black Substance (YBS) biofilm (iii) biofilm forming bubbles on the Mn-oxides; referred to as the bubble biofilm and (iv) fracture water that has passed through the biofilms. Each subsystem hosts a specific collection of microorganisms. Differentially abundant bacteria in the YBS biofilm were identified within the Rhizobiales (e.g. Pedomicrobium), PLTA13 Gammaproteobacteria, Pirellulaceae, Hyphomonadaceae, Blastocatellia and Nitrospira. These taxa, likely driving the Mn-oxide production, were not detected in the fracture water. This biofilm binds Mn, REE and other trace elements in an efficient, dynamic process, as indicated by substantial depletion of these metals from the fracture water as it passes through the Mn deposit zone. Microbe-mediated oxidation of Mn(II) and formation of Mn(III/IV)-oxides can thus have considerable local environmental impact by removing metals from aquatic environments.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sjöberg, Susanne and Stairs, Courtney W and Allard, Bert and Homa, Felix and Martin, Tom and Sjöberg, Viktor and Ettema, Thijs J G and Dupraz, Christophe}},
  issn         = {{1574-6941}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  number       = {{11}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{FEMS Microbiology Ecology}},
  title        = {{Microbiomes in a manganese oxide producing ecosystem in the Ytterby mine, Sweden : impact on metal mobility}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiaa169}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/femsec/fiaa169}},
  volume       = {{96}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}