Transcriptional and proteomic stress responses of a soil bacterium Bacillus cereus to nanosized zero-valent iron (nZVI) particles

- Effects of NZVI on B. cereus were assessed at a phenotypic and molecular level.
- The entrance of the cells in an early sporulation stage was observed by TEM.
- Proteins involved in oxidative stress-response and TCA cycle were overexpressed.
- Proteins involved in motility and wall biosynthesis were repressed.

Nanosized zero valent iron (nZVI) is emerging as an option for treating contaminated soil and groundwater even though the potentially toxic impact exerted by nZVI on soil microorganisms remains uncertain. In this work, we focus on nanotoxicological studies performed in vitro using commercial nZVI and one common soil bacterium (Bacillus cereus). Results showed a negative impact of nZVI on B. cereus growth capability, consistent with the entrance of cells in an early sporulation stage, observed by TEM. Despite no changes at the transcriptional level are detected in genes of particular relevance in cellular activity (narG, nirS, pykA, gyrA and katB), the proteomic approach used highlights differentially expressed proteins in B. cereus under nZVI exposure. We demonstrate that proteins involved in oxidative stress-response and tricarboxilic acid cycle (TCA) modulation are overexpressed; moreover proteins involved in motility and wall biosynthesis are repressed. Our results enable to detect a molecular-level response as early warning signal, providing new insight into first line defense response of a soil bacterium after nZVI exposure.