Generation of a Gluconobacter oxydans knockout collection for improved extraction of rare earth elements.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34795278.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-27047-4 and PMC identifier 8602642.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Bioleaching of rare earth elements (REEs), using microorganisms such as Gluconobacter oxydans, offers a sustainable alternative to environmentally harmful thermochemical extraction, but is currently not very efficient. Here, we generate a whole-genome knockout collection of single-gene transposon disruption mutants for G. oxydans B58, to identify genes affecting the efficacy of REE bioleaching. We find 304 genes whose disruption alters the production of acidic biolixiviant. Disruption of genes underlying synthesis of the cofactor pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) and the PQQ-dependent membrane-bound glucose dehydrogenase nearly eliminates bioleaching. Disruption of phosphate-specific transport system genes enhances bioleaching by up to 18%. Our results provide a comprehensive roadmap for engineering the genome of G. oxydans to further increase its bioleaching efficiency.
Medical subject headings
- Bacterial Proteins
- Gene Knockout Techniques
- Genome, Bacterial
- Gluconobacter oxydans
- Glucose Dehydrogenases
- PQQ Cofactor