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Electrobiocorrosion by microbes without outer-surface cytochromes.

Dawn E Holmes1,2, Trevor L Woodard1, Jessica A Smith1,3

  • 1Department of Microbiology University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst Massachusetts USA.

Mlife
|June 3, 2024
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Summary

Some anaerobic microbes directly corrode metals via electrobiocorrosion. Researchers found that certain methanogens and acetogens can perform stainless steel electrobiocorrosion, even without typical outer-surface cytochromes, revealing diverse microbial strategies.

Keywords:
Fe0acetogencorrosionmethanogenstainless steel

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Area of Science:

  • Microbial electrochemistry
  • Anaerobic microbial corrosion
  • Biogeochemistry

Background:

  • Anaerobic microbial corrosion of iron-containing metals leads to significant economic losses.
  • Direct metal-to-microbe electron transfer, or electrobiocorrosion, is a key mechanism, but its prevalence in methanogens and acetogens is poorly understood due to limited genetic tools.
  • Respiration with 316L stainless steel, which doesn't abiotically generate H2, is a proposed indicator of electrobiocorrosion.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of electrobiocorrosion among diverse anaerobic methanogens and acetogens.
  • To determine the microbial strategies for direct electron transfer from metals.
  • To understand the role of acetate in stainless steel electrobiocorrosion by methanogens.

Main Methods:

  • Tested respiration of pure Fe0 and 316L stainless steel by various methanogens (Methanosarcina vacuolata, Methanothrix soehngenii, Methanobacterium strain IM1) and acetogens (Sporomusa ovata, Clostridium ljungdahlii).
  • Assessed direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) capabilities using Geobacter metallireducens as an electron donor.
  • Investigated the necessity of acetate for electrobiocorrosive methanogens.

Main Results:

  • All tested methanogens and acetogens respired with pure Fe0.
  • Methanosarcina vacuolata, Methanothrix soehngenii, and Sporomusa ovata demonstrated stainless steel electrobiocorrosion.
  • Electrobiocorrosive methanogens required acetate for methane production from stainless steel, which could be supplied by acetogens in cocultures.
  • Methanobacterium strain IM1 did not perform electrobiocorrosion or accept electrons from Geobacter metallireducens.
  • Capable electrobiocorrosive microbes lacked the outer-surface c-type cytochromes previously thought essential.

Conclusions:

  • Multiple microbial species, including methanogens and acetogens, are capable of electrobiocorrosion using stainless steel.
  • Acetate availability is crucial for electrobiocorrosive methanogens utilizing stainless steel.
  • Microbial electrobiocorrosion of metals can occur through diverse mechanisms, not solely reliant on outer-surface c-type cytochromes.