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Magnetite nanoparticles (nanoFe3O4) have been reported to facilitate direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) between syntrophic bacteria and methanogens thereby improving syntrophic methanogenesis. However, whether or how nanoFe3O4 affects acetotrophic methanogenesis remain unknown. Herein, we demonstrate the unique role of nanoFe3O4 in accelerating methane production from direct acetotrophic methanogenesis in Methanosarcina-enriched cultures, which was further confirmed by pure cultures of Methanosarcina barkeri. Compared with other nanomaterials of higher electrical conductivity such as carbon nanotubes and graphite, nanoFe3O4 with mixed valence Fe(II) and Fe(III) had the most significant stimulatory effect on methane production, suggesting its redox activity rather than electrical conductivity led to enhanced methanogenesis by M. barkeri. Cell morphology and spectroscopy analysis revealed that nanoFe3O4 penetrated into the cell membrane and cytoplasm of M. barkeri. These results provide the unprecedented possibility that nanoFe3O4 in the cell membrane of methanogens serve as electron shuttles to facilitate intracellular electron transfer and thus enhance methane production. This work has important implications not only for understanding the mechanisms of mineral-methanogen interaction but also for optimizing engineered methanogenic processes.

Anaerobes respire extracellular electron acceptors by extracellular electron transfer (EET). It is widely recognized that flavins can act as electron shuttles to facilitate this process. Flavin synthesis genes are widely distributed in Geobacter species. However, the functions of flavins in the EET of Geobacter species are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that G. uraniireducens can secrete abundant riboflavin (up to 270 nM) to facilitate EET. When an electrode was used as the electron acceptor, the quick recovery of anodizing current after anolyte replacement and the electrochemical behavior of the G. uraniireducens biofilm characterized by differential pulse voltammetry suggest that the self-secreted riboflavin promoted EET by serving as bound redox cofactors for cytochromes. On the contrary, when Fe(III) oxide was the electron acceptor, free riboflavin acted as electron shuttle to mediate the reduction of Fe(III) oxide. The results demonstrate the flexibility of flavins in EET, suggesting that the properties of electron acceptors can affect the binding mode of extracellular flavins, and broaden the knowledge of the EET of Geobacter species.

Conductive materials facilitate direct interspecies electron transfer between acidogens and methanogens during methane (CH4) production. Soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by microorganisms might act as the electron shuttle between microorganisms and conductive materials. In this study, effects of conductive ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4) on anaerobic treatment process and the production of SMP and EPS were investigated. The maximum CH4 production rate was enhanced by 23.3% with the dosage of Fe3O4. The concentrations of proteins, polysaccharides, and humic substances in tightly bound EPS (T-EPS) were promoted, suggesting that extracellular metabolisms were induced by conductive materials. Distribution of potential electron shuttles such as quinone-like substances, flavins, aromatic amino acids, and dipeptides in SMP and EPS phases were comprehensively investigated and these electron shuttles were significantly affected by Fe3O4. Dipeptides consisting of phenylalanine were widely detected in T-EPS of the Fe3O4 reactor, indicating a potential different extracellular electron exchange pattern with the addition of conductive materials.

Dissimilatory metal reducing organisms play key roles in the biogeochemical cycle of metals as well as in the durability of submerged and buried metallic structures. The molecular mechanisms that support electron transfer across the microbe-metal interface in these organisms remain poorly explored. It is known that outer membrane proteins, in particular multiheme cytochromes, are essential for this type of metabolism, being responsible for direct and indirect, via electron shuttles, interaction with the insoluble electron acceptors. Soluble electron shuttles such as flavins, phenazines and humic acids are known to enhance extracellular electron transfer. In this work, this phenomenon was explored. All known outer membrane decaheme cytochromes from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 with known metal terminal reductase activity and a undecaheme cytochrome from Shewanella sp. HRCR-6 were expressed and purified. Their interactions with soluble electron shuttles were studied using stopped-flow kinetics, NMR spectroscopy and molecular simulations. The results show that despite the structural similarities, expected from the available structural data and sequence homology, the detailed characteristics of their interactions with soluble electron shuttles are different. MtrC and OmcA appear to interact with a variety of different electron shuttles in the close vicinity of some of their hemes, and with affinities that are biologically relevant for the concentrations typical found in the medium for this type of compounds. All data support a view of a distant interaction between the hemes of MtrF and the electron shuttles. For UndA a clear structural characterization was achieved for the interaction with AQDS a humic acid analogue. These results provide guidance for future work of the manipulation of these proteins toward modulation of their role in metal attachment and reduction.

Toxic man-made compounds released into the environment represent potential nutrients for bacteria, and microorganisms growing with such compounds as carbon and energy sources can be used to clean up polluted sites. However, in some instances, microorganisms contribute to contaminant degradation without any apparent benefit for themselves. Such cometabolism plays an important part in bioremediation, but is often difficult to control. Microbial degradation of tetrachloromethane (carbon tetrachloride, CCl4), a toxic ozone-depleting organic solvent mainly of anthropogenic origin, is only known to occur by cometabolic reduction under anoxic conditions. Yet no microbial system capable of using CCl4 as the sole carbon source has been described. Microbial growth based on CCl4 as a terminal electron acceptor has not been reported, although corresponding degradation pathways would yield sufficient energy. Known modes for the biodegradation of CCl4 involve several microbial metabolites, mainly metal-bound coenzymes and siderophores, which are produced by facultative or strictly anaerobic bacteria and methanogenic Archaea. Recent reports have demonstrated that CCl4 dechlorination rates are enhanced by redox-active organic compounds such as humic acids and quinones, which act as shuttles between electron-providing microorganisms and CCl4 as a strong electron acceptor. The key factors underlying dechlorination of CCl4, the practical aspects and specific requirements for microorganism-associated degradation of CCl4 at contaminated sites and perspectives for future developments are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]