Journal
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
Volume 30, Issue 11, Pages 1072-1083Publisher
CELL PRESS
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.05.005
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Funding
- Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the U.S. Department of Energy
- [DE-SC0020246]
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Pyrite is a common iron sulfide mineral in the Earth's crust. It has been thought to be unreactive in the absence of oxygen, but recent studies show that anaerobic methanogens can reduce pyrite and utilize the released iron and sulfur for their own nutritional needs. This process has important implications for element cycling in anoxic habitats.
Pyrite (FeS2) is the most abundant iron sulfide mineral in Earth's crust. Until recently, FeS2 has been considered a sink for iron (Fe) and sulfur (S) at low temperature in the absence of oxygen or oxidative weathering, making these elements unavailable to biology. However, anaerobic methanogens can transfer electrons extracellularly to reduce FeS2 via direct contact with the mineral. Reduction of FeS2 occurs through a multistep process that generates aqueous sulfide (HS-) and FeS2-associated pyrrhotite (Fe1-xS). Subsequent dissolution of Fe1-xS provides Fe(II)(aq), but not HS-, that rapidly complexes with HS-(aq) generated from FeS2 reduction to form soluble iron sulfur clusters [nFeS(aq)]. Cells assimilate nFeS(aq) to meet Fe/S nutritional demands by mobilizing and hyperaccumulating Fe and S from FeS2. As such, reductive dissolution of FeS2 by methanogens has important implications for element cycling in anoxic habitats, both today and in the geologic past.
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