Isolation and characterization of ferrous- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria from Tengchong solfataric region, China

Microbial oxidation and reduction of iron and sulfur are important parts of biogeochemical cycles in acidic environments such as geothermal solfataric regions. Species of Acidithiobacillus and Leptospirillum are the common ferrous-iron and sulfur oxidizers from such environments. This study focused on the Tengchong sofataric region, located in Yunnan Province, Southwest China. Based on cultivation, 9 strains that grow on ferrous-iron and sulfuric compounds were obtained. Analysis of 16S rRNA genes of the 9 strains indicated that they were affiliated to Acidithiobacillus, Alicyclobacillus, Sulfobacillus, Leptospirillum and Acidiphilium. Physiological and phylogenetic studies indicated that two strains (TC-34 and TC-71) might represent two novel members of Alicyclobacillus. Strain TC-34 and TC-71 showed 94.8%–97.1% 16S rRNA gene identities to other species of Alicyclobacillus. Different from the previously described Alicyclobacillus species, strains TC-34 and TC-71 were mesophilic and their cellular fatty acids do not contain ω-cyclic fatty acids. Strain TC-71 was obligately dependent on ferrous-iron for growth. It was concluded that the ferrous-iron oxidizers were diversified and Alicyclobacillus species were proposed to take part in biochemical geocycling of iron in the Tengchong solfataric region.