Bacterial responses to antibiotics determine the pattern of manganese biomineralization

The continuous generation of biogenic Mn(III/IV) oxides (BioMnOx), leveraging sustainable bacterial proliferation and biomineralization, provides a promising strategy for antibiotic remediation. However, this approach presents a critical contradiction that antibiotics targeted for removal intrinsically change microbial activity required for BioMnOx regeneration. The mechanism underlying these bacterial responses to antibiotics determines the pattern of manganese biomineralization, which remains a critical knowledge gap in BioMnOx-generated system application. Herein, we revealed the mechanism by investigating Pseudomonas putida MnB1's manganese biomineralization response to three antibiotic classes of the bactericidal, bacteriostatic, and antibacterial (a combination of the former two). We demonstrate that antibiotics differentially regulate enzyme- and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated pathways responsible for manganese biomineralization in a concentration-dependent manner. Manganese biomineralization was primarily promoted through enhancing intracellular ROS accumulation to stimulate manganese oxidation induced by bactericidal antibiotic (e.g. penicillin G, PG). In contrast, BioMnOx formation was reduced by bacteriostatic antibiotic (e.g. erythromycin, ERY) due to its significant inhibition of enzymatic synthesis, while antibacterial antibiotics (e.g. ciprofloxacin, CIP) completely suppressed bacterial proliferation and manganese biomineralizing capacity due to its potent antibacterial effects. Furthermore, in multi-antibiotic coexisting systems, manganese biomineralization efficiency depended on the decisive interference of the dominant antibiotic. Our findings elucidate the long-overlooked interplay between microbial physiology and mineral evolution under antibiotic stress, provide a theoretical support for improving the continuous operation of BioMnOx-generated system under antibiotic stress, which is a timely contribution to the replacement of the current energy-intensive chemical oxidation methods.