Acidophiles : life in extremely acidic environments / edited by Raquel Quatrini and D. Barrie Johnson.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Quatrini, Raquel, editor.

Johnson, D. Barrie, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Acid deposition--Environmental aspects.

Acid deposition.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (324 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Norfolk, England : Caister Academic Press, [2016]

Summary:

Written by experts in their field, this important volume provides a comprehensive account of acidophilic microbiology from fundamental to applied aspects. The seventeen chapters are arranged in five sections, each dealing with a specific area. The first section looks at the challenges faced by life-forms that grow in extremely acidic environments and how they adapt to meet these challenges. The next section describes the physiological and phylogenetic diversities of acidophilic microorganisms including archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes. Section three covers acidophile community dynamics, quorum sensing and the formation of biofilms. The next section deals with the various omic technologies that are used to study acidophiles including genomic and metagenomic studies, proteomic-, mobilomic- and metabolomic-focused research. The final section considers the ways in which acidophiles are used in established and emerging biotechnologies and describes why these fascinating microorganisms are considered potential candidates for life on other solar bodies, such as Mars, and beyond. This up-to-date and comprehensive book will be indispensable for environmental scientists and microbiologists and is a recommended acquisition for all microbiology libraries.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

Contributors

Preface

Genus abbreviations

Current Books of Interest

Part I: Introduction

1: Acidophile Microbiology in Space and Time

Acidophilic microorganisms defined

Nature, genesis, and global distribution of extremely acidic environments

A brief history of acidophile microbiology

Looking forward: challenges and opportunities

Part II: Challenges and Adaptations

2: Energy Acquisition in Low-pH Environments

Introduction

General concepts of bioenergetics

Bioenergetic particularities of the acidophilic lifestyle

Respiration in acidophiles

Respiratory pathways

Concluding remarks

Appendix

3: Adaptation to Extreme Acidity and Osmotic Stress

Adaptation to extreme acidity

Adaption to osmotic stress

Adaptation of acidophilic microorganisms to osmotic stress

Acidic saline environments

Acidophilic halophiles

Conclusions

4: Oxidative Stress and Metal Tolerance in Extreme Acidophiles

ROS generation in acidic bioleaching microorganisms

Oxidative stress response in acidophiles

Metal stress response in acidophilic microorganisms

Part III: Diversity of Acidophilic Microorganisms

5: Physiological and Phylogenetic Diversity of Acidophilic Bacteria

Natural and anthropogenic environments

Phylogeny of acidophilic bacteria

From low temperature adapted bacteria to thermophiles

Overview and future prospects

6: Diversity and Physiologies of Acidophilic Archaea

Introduction: history, environments, and major physiological characteristics

The Sulfolobaceae

The Thermoplasmatales

Adaptation strategies in extremely acidophilic Archaea

Carbon metabolism

Sulfur metabolism

Respiratory chains in acidophilic Archaea

Uncultured acidophilic Archaea

Outlook.

7: Physiological and Phylogenetic Diversity of Acidophilic Eukaryotes

Diversity of eukaryotic acidophiles

Structure and development of acidophilic eukaryotic biofilms as a mechanism for surviving extreme conditions

Heavy metal resistance: functional transcriptomic approaches

Photosynthesis in acidic environments

Part IV: Acidophile Community Dynamics

8: Microbial Communities and Interactions in Low-pH Environments

Types of microbial interactions that occur in low-pH environments

Microbial interactions involving carbon flow in extremely acidic environments

Microbial interactions involving redox transformations of iron and sulfur in extremely acidic environments

Other examples of positive interactions between acidophiles (synergy and syntrophy)

Negative interactions between acidophilic microorganisms

Microbial community dynamics: examples from extremely acidic environmental and industrial habitats

9: Biofilm Formation by Acidophile Bacteria and Archaea

Molecular understanding of prokaryotic and acidophilic biofilm

10: Distribution of Acidophilic Microorganisms in Natural and Man-made Acidic Environments

Populations in natural acidic environments

Populations in mine-impacted environments

Part V: Molecular Biology of Acidophiles

11: Progress in Acidophile Genomics

Timeline of genome sequencing projects

Diversity of acidophiles with sequenced genomes

Phylogenetic distribution and associated metadata of sequenced genomes

Genomes partially reconstructed from metagenomic data

Comparative genomics

Metabolic reconstructions and genome-scale models

Perspectives

12: The Flexible Genome of Acidophilic Prokaryotes

Introduction.

Transmissible elements

Integrative genetic elements

Translocative elements

Defence mechanisms

Outlook

13: Metagenomics of Acid Mine Drainage at Iron Mountain California: Expanding Our View From Individual Genes and Cultures to Entire Communities

Acid mine drainage at Iron Mountain, a model system for the development of culture-independent genomic (metagenomic) and functional approaches

Harnessing proteomics to interrogate the activity of microbial populations in the wild

Strain-level variability of natural populations, linking ecology and evolution through space and time

Conclusions: Iron Mountain, a reflection of nearly two decades of work on fascinating microbial world

14: Proteomics of Acidophilic Prokaryotes

Importance of proteomics in the study of acidophilic microorganisms

Proteomics of acidophilic bacteria

Proteomics in acidophilic Archaea

Possible industrial applications derived from proteomics

15: Metabolomic Approaches to the Study of Acidophiles

Introduction to metabolomics

The study of cellular metabolism in the omics era

Difficulties and limitations of metabolomics studies

Current knowledge of the metabolism of acidophiles

Biological behaviours in need of metabolomics answers

Advances in metabolomics of acidophiles

Future challenges to be addressed using metabolomics of acidophiles

Part VI: Applications and Outlook

16: Biotechnologies that Utilize Acidophiles

Biotechnologies for metal extraction using acidophiles

Demonstrations of heap bioleaching

Tank bioleaching

Reprocessing of mine wastes and urban wastes

Closing comments

17: Acidophiles and Astrobiology

Rio Tinto

Microbial ecology of the Tinto basin

Sedimentary geomicrobiology of the Rio Tinto.

Subsurface geomicrobiology of the Iberian Pyrite Belt

The Rio Tinto: a model of astrobiological interest

Index.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-910190-34-9