Thioarsenate Formation Coupled with Anaerobic Arsenite Oxidation by a Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium Isolated from a Hot Spring

Abstract

Thioarsenates are common arsenic species in sulfidic geothermal waters, yet little is known about their biogeochemical traits. In the present study, a novel sulfate-reducing bacterial strain <i>Desulfotomaculum</i> TC-1 was isolated from a sulfidic hot spring in Tengchong geothermal area, Yunnan Province, China. The <i>arxA</i> gene, encoding anaerobic arsenite oxidase, was successfully amplified from the genome of strain TC-1, indicating it has a potential ability to oxidize arsenite under anaerobic condition. In anaerobic arsenite oxidation experiments inoculated with strain TC-1, a small amount of arsenate was detected in the beginning but became undetectable over longer time. Thioarsenates (AsO_4-xS_x^2- with <i>x</i> = 1-4) formed with mono-, di- and tri-thioarsenates being dominant forms. Tetrathioarsenate was only detectable at the end of the experiment. These results suggest that thermophilic microbes might be involved in the formation of thioarsenates and provide a possible explanation for the widespread distribution of thioarsenates in terrestrial geothermal environments.