Development of a biomarker for Geobacter activity and strain composition; proteogenomic analysis of the citrate synthase protein during bioremediation of U(VI).

TitleDevelopment of a biomarker for Geobacter activity and strain composition; proteogenomic analysis of the citrate synthase protein during bioremediation of U(VI).
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2011
AuthorsWilkins MJ, Callister SJ, Miletto M, Williams KH, Nicora CD, Lovley DR, Long PE, Lipton MS
JournalMicrob Biotechnol
Volume4
Issue1
Pagination55-63
Date Published2011 Jan
ISSN1751-7915
KeywordsAmino Acid Sequence, Bacterial Proteins, Biodegradation, Environmental, Biological Markers, Citrate (si)-Synthase, Geobacter, Groundwater, Molecular Sequence Data, Phylogeny, Proteomics, Sequence Alignment, Uranium
Abstract

Monitoring the activity of target microorganisms during stimulated bioremediation is a key problem for the development of effective remediation strategies. At the US Department of Energy's Integrated Field Research Challenge (IFRC) site in Rifle, CO, the stimulation of Geobacter growth and activity via subsurface acetate addition leads to precipitation of U(VI) from groundwater as U(IV). Citrate synthase (gltA) is a key enzyme in Geobacter central metabolism that controls flux into the TCA cycle. Here, we utilize shotgun proteomic methods to demonstrate that the measurement of gltA peptides can be used to track Geobacter activity and strain evolution during in situ biostimulation. Abundances of conserved gltA peptides tracked Fe(III) reduction and changes in U(VI) concentrations during biostimulation, whereas changing patterns of unique peptide abundances between samples suggested sample-specific strain shifts within the Geobacter population. Abundances of unique peptides indicated potential differences at the strain level between Fe(III)-reducing populations stimulated during in situ biostimulation experiments conducted a year apart at the Rifle IFRC. These results offer a novel technique for the rapid screening of large numbers of proteomic samples for Geobacter species and will aid monitoring of subsurface bioremediation efforts that rely on metal reduction for desired outcomes.

DOI10.1111/j.1751-7915.2010.00194.x
Alternate JournalMicrob Biotechnol
PubMed ID21255372