Cellular ATP and biomass of attached and planktonic sulfur-oxidizing Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans
2013
Pakostova, Eva | Mandl, Martin | Tuovinen, O. H.
This study demonstrates differences in ATP levels between attached and planktonic cells of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans growing with elemental sulfur. A small fraction of 3.7–14.4% of the bacterial cells was attached to the sulfur particles. The highest cell attachment of 14.4% was at the end of the lag phase, decreasing to 3.7% into the latter part of the active growth phase. Therefore, attached cells and their ATP content made a minor contribution to the total culture biomass in the active growth phase. However, the cellular ATP content was 1.01amol per attached cell and 0.34amol per planktonic cell. The significantly (P<0.01) lower ATP content was attributed to sulfur limitation in the planktonic cells. These results suggest that a negligibly small subpopulation may be a link in cooperative interaction whereby sulfur oxidation by attached cells under boundary conditions provides bioavailable substrates to planktonic cells in the population.
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