TY - JOUR
T1 - Sulfated glycosaminoglycan-like polymers are present in an acidophilic biofilm from a sulfidic cave
AU - de Bruin, S.
AU - Vasquez-Cardenas, D.
AU - Sarbu, S. M.
AU - Meysman, F. J.R.
AU - Sousa, D. Z.
AU - van Loosdrecht, M. C.M.
AU - Lin, Y.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG) are negatively charged extracellular polymeric substances that occur in biofilms from various environments. Yet, it remains unclear whether these polymers are acquired from the external environment or produced by microbes in the biofilm. To resolve this, we analyzed the presence of sGAGs in samples of an acidophilic biofilm collected from Sulfur Cave in Puturosu Mountain (Romania), an environment that is largely inaccessible to contamination. A maximum of 55.16 ± 2.06 μg sGAG-like polymers were recovered per mg of EPS. Enzymatic treatment with chondroitinase ABC resulted in a decrease of the mass of these polymers, suggesting the structure of the recovered sGAG is similar to chondroitin. Subsequent FT-IR analysis of these polymers revealed absorbance bands at 1230 cm−1, 1167 cm−1 and 900 cm−1, indicating a possible presence of polysaccharides and sulfate. Analysis of genomic sequences closely related to those predominant in the acidophilic biofilm, contained genes coding for sulfotransferase (an enzyme needed for the production of sGAG), which supports the hypothesis of microbial synthesis of sGAGs within the biofilm.
AB - Sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG) are negatively charged extracellular polymeric substances that occur in biofilms from various environments. Yet, it remains unclear whether these polymers are acquired from the external environment or produced by microbes in the biofilm. To resolve this, we analyzed the presence of sGAGs in samples of an acidophilic biofilm collected from Sulfur Cave in Puturosu Mountain (Romania), an environment that is largely inaccessible to contamination. A maximum of 55.16 ± 2.06 μg sGAG-like polymers were recovered per mg of EPS. Enzymatic treatment with chondroitinase ABC resulted in a decrease of the mass of these polymers, suggesting the structure of the recovered sGAG is similar to chondroitin. Subsequent FT-IR analysis of these polymers revealed absorbance bands at 1230 cm−1, 1167 cm−1 and 900 cm−1, indicating a possible presence of polysaccharides and sulfate. Analysis of genomic sequences closely related to those predominant in the acidophilic biofilm, contained genes coding for sulfotransferase (an enzyme needed for the production of sGAG), which supports the hypothesis of microbial synthesis of sGAGs within the biofilm.
KW - EPS
KW - Extremophiles
KW - Romania
KW - Sulfur Cave
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126557306&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154472
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154472
M3 - Article
C2 - 35276175
AN - SCOPUS:85126557306
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 829
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 154472
ER -