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Neutrophilic Iron-Depositing Microorganisms

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Biofilm Highlights

Part of the book series: Springer Series on Biofilms ((BIOFILMS,volume 5))

Abstract

Neutrophilic iron-depositing microorganisms include various groups of bacteria, algae, and protozoa. The most striking feature of these microorganisms is their ability to precipitate ferric iron around their cells and colonies in many different forms. Growth of these microorganisms has various practical implications, for example, formation of iron ore in many parts of the world, aging of water wells, and clogging of drinking water pipes. Morphological description of many genera and species of iron-depositing bacteria by microscopy dates back to the nineteenth century, but only very few pure cultures of bacteria such as Leptothrix discophora and Gallionella ferruginea have been obtained in the last decades. Therefore, little has been known on the physiology or phylogeny of these bacteria.

Using a combination of different cultivation techniques and molecular methods we were able to demonstrate a large diversity of iron-depositing bacteria in natural habitats as well as in drinking water systems. Pure cultures were obtained for many microscopically defined morphotypes belonging to well-known iron-depositing genera such as Leptothrix, Pedomicrobium, Pseudomonas, and Hyphomicrobium. In addition, many cultures isolated were not closely related to known iron bacteria according to phylogenetic analysis. Clones obtained by clone libraries from natural habitats also indicated that known genera of iron-depositing bacteria are much more diverse than assumed so far. With the pure cultures and clones in hand, we are now able to study the physiology of iron-depositing bacteria and their possible role in natural and technical habitats.

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Acknowledgments

The study on the iron-depositing bacteria in the National Park “Unteres Odertal” was funded by a grant of the German Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), 02WU0715.

The investigations in Tierra del Fuego are conducted in cooperation with Prof. Sineriz, University of Tucuman, and are financially supported by the Humboldt foundation.

We would like to thank Arne Espelund, Trondheim, Norway, for the introduction in ancient iron production in Norway.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Microbiology, Berlin Institute of Technology, Franklinstrasse 29, 10587, Berlin, Germany

    Ulrich Szewzyk, Regine Szewzyk, Bertram Schmidt & Burga Braun

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  1. Ulrich Szewzyk
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Correspondence to Ulrich Szewzyk .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Chemistry, Biofilm Centre, Universitätsstrasse 5, Essen, 45141, Germany

    Hans-Curt Flemming

  2. University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Chemistry, Biofilm Centre, Universitätsstr. 5, Essen, 45141, Germany

    Jost Wingender

  3. , Department of Environmental Microbiology, Berlin Institute of Technology, Franklinstr. 29, Berlin, 10587, Germany

    Ulrich Szewzyk

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Szewzyk, U., Szewzyk, R., Schmidt, B., Braun, B. (2011). Neutrophilic Iron-Depositing Microorganisms. In: Flemming, HC., Wingender, J., Szewzyk, U. (eds) Biofilm Highlights. Springer Series on Biofilms, vol 5. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19940-0_4

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