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High-affinity amide-lanthanide adsorption to gram-positive soil bacteria
Elliot Chang1, Laura N Lammers1,2, Céline Pallud1
1Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.
Environmental Microbiology Reports
|May 7, 2023
Summary
Arthrobacter nicotianae selectively binds lanthanides using amide and phosphate sites. These high-affinity sites are crucial for understanding lanthanide transport in soil environments.
Area of Science:
- Microbial biochemistry
- Environmental science
- Geochemistry
Background:
- Soil bacteria like Arthrobacter nicotianae possess functional groups capable of adsorbing metal ions.
- Understanding metal-microbe interactions is key to predicting metal transport in subsurface environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific functional groups on Arthrobacter nicotianae responsible for lanthanide adsorption.
- To quantify the affinity of these sites for lanthanides, particularly neodymium (Nd).
Main Methods:
- Utilized batch adsorption experiments to study lanthanide binding to A. nicotianae.
- Quantified neodymium (Nd) selective site types and determined stability constants.
Main Results:
- Arthrobacter nicotianae exhibits high-affinity adsorption for lanthanides via amide and phosphate functional groups.
- The stability constant for amide-Nd interaction was determined to be log10 K = 6.41 ± 0.23.
- These high-affinity sites show significantly greater selectivity for Nd compared to divalent metals binding to carboxyl groups.
Conclusions:
- Amide and phosphate sites on A. nicotianae play a disproportionately important role in lanthanide adsorption.
- Lanthanide biosorption is a significant factor in subsurface metal transport, even at low environmental concentrations.
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