黄金の生物鉱化:バクテリア型黄金のバイオフィルム
Frank Reith1, Stephen L Rogers, D C McPhail
1Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration, Post Office Box 1130, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia. frank.reith@csiro.au
まとめ
ラルストニア菌を含むバクテリアバイオフィルムは,オーストラリアの金粒の上に発見されました. これは,バクテリアが二次的な金粒や金塊の形成に寄与することを示唆しています.
科学分野:
- ゲオミクロバイオロジー
- バイオミネラライゼーション
- 環境科学 環境科学
背景:
- バクテリアのバイオフィルムは,鉱物形成における役割としてますます認識されています.
- 細菌が二次黄金形成に与える具体的な貢献は十分に理解されていません.
研究 の 目的:
- バクテリアと二次的な黄金の粒子の関連性を調査するために.
- 金粒に存在する細菌種を特定し,金形成におけるそれらの潜在的な役割を評価する.
主な方法:
- オーストラリアの2つの遺跡から二次金粒と周辺の土壌を採取した.
- 細菌のコミュニティを特定するためにDNA抽出と16SリボソームDNAシーケンシングを行います.
- 金粒の細菌集団と土壌サンプルを比較する.
主要な成果:
- 細菌のバイオフィルムが二次金粒に検出されました.
- 16SリボソームDNAクローンは,すべてのDNA陽性金粒で,Ralstonia metalliduransとの99%の類似性を持つRalstonia属を特定しました.
- ラルストニア菌は周辺の土壌では検出されなかった.
- Ralstonia metalliduransは,金 (((III) テトラクロライドから金を沈殿することが知られている.
結論:
- 黄金の粒にRalstonia細菌が存在することは,二次黄金のオーチジェニック形成におけるその役割の証拠を提供します.
- これらの発見は,バクテリア型黄金形成の概念を裏付けている.
- 金鉱の微生物プロセスに関するさらなる研究が必要である.
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