Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, and Millennium Institute for Cell Dynamics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Biotechnol Adv. 2010 Nov-Dec;28(6):839-48. doi: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2010.07.003. Epub 2010 Jul 11.
Industrial biomining processes to extract copper, gold and other metals involve the use of extremophiles such as the acidophilic Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (Bacteria), and the thermoacidophilic Sulfolobus metallicus (Archaea). Together with other extremophiles these microorganisms subsist in habitats where they are exposed to copper concentrations higher than 100mM. Herein we review the current knowledge on the Cu-resistance mechanisms found in these microorganisms. Recent information suggests that biomining extremophiles respond to extremely high Cu concentrations by using simultaneously all or most of the following key elements: 1) a wide repertoire of Cu-resistance determinants; 2) duplication of some of these Cu-resistance determinants; 3) existence of novel Cu chaperones; 4) a polyP-based Cu-resistance system, and 5) an oxidative stress defense system. Further insight of the biomining community members and their individual response to copper is highly relevant, since this could provide key information to the mining industry. In turn, this information could be used to select the more fit members of the bioleaching community to attain more efficient industrial biomining processes.
工业生物采矿过程用于提取铜、金和其他金属，涉及使用嗜酸极端微生物，如嗜酸氧化亚铁硫杆菌（细菌）和嗜热嗜酸硫杆菌（古菌）。这些微生物与其他极端微生物一起，在暴露于高于 100mM 的铜浓度的栖息地中生存。本文综述了这些微生物中发现的铜抗性机制的最新知识。最近的信息表明，生物采矿极端微生物通过同时使用以下所有或大多数关键元素来应对极高的 Cu 浓度：1）广泛的铜抗性决定因素；2）一些铜抗性决定因素的重复；3）新型 Cu 伴侣的存在；4）基于多磷酸盐的铜抗性系统和 5）氧化应激防御系统。深入了解生物采矿生物群落成员及其对铜的个体反应非常重要，因为这可以为采矿业提供关键信息。反过来，这些信息可用于选择更适合生物浸出生物群落的成员，以实现更高效的工业生物采矿过程。
