Bismuth(III) interactions with Desulfovibrio desulfuricans: inhibition of cell energetics and nanocrystal formation of Bi2S3 and Bi0

• Published in: Biometals 2019-10, Vol.32 (5), p.803-811
• Main Authors: Barton, Larry L., Granat, Alex S., Lee, Seungyeol, Xu, Huifang, Ritz, Nathaniel L., Hider, Robert, Lin, Henry C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ATP synthase; Bacteria; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Bismuth; Bismuth compounds; Bismuth subsalicylate; Bismuth sulfides; Cell Biology; Citric acid; Desulfovibrio desulfuricans; Dispersion; Energy dispersive X ray spectroscopy; Energy transmission; Etiology; Hydrogen sulfide; Image resolution; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Intestine; Life Sciences; Medicine/Public Health; Microbiology; Nanocrystals; Oxidation; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Plant Physiology; Reduction; Signs and symptoms; Spectroscopic analysis; Spectroscopy; Spectrum analysis; Sulfate reduction; Sulfate-reducing bacteria; Sulfates; Sulfite; Transmission electron microscopy; Ulcerative colitis; X ray imagery
• ISSN: 0966-0844; 1572-8773
• DOI: 10.1007/s10534-019-00213-4

Sulfate-reducing bacteria have been suggested to have an etiological role in the development of inflammatory bowel diseases and ulcerative colitis in humans. Traditionally. bismuth compounds have been administered to alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort and disease symptoms. One mechanism by which this treatment occurs is through binding bacterial derived hydrogen sulfide in the intestines. With the addition of bismuth-deferiprone, bismuth-citrate and bismuth subsalicylate to reactions containing cells of D. desulfuricans ATCC 27774, the oxidation of H 2 with sulfate as the electron acceptor was inhibited but H 2 oxidation with nitrate, nitrite and sulfite was not reduced. Our research suggests that a target for bismuth inhibition of D. desulfuricans is the F 1 subunit of the ATP synthase and, thus, dissimilatory sulfate reduction does not occur. At sublethal concentrations, bismuth as Bi(III) is precipitated by hydrogen sulfide produced from respiratory sulfate reduction by D. desulfuricans . Nanocrystals of bismuth sulfide were determined to be Bi 2 S 3 through the use of high resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging with X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis. In the absence of sulfate, D. desulfuricans oxidizes H 2 with the reduction of Bi(III) to Bi 0 and this was also established by X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis.