Pseudodesulfovibrio cashew sp. Nov., a Novel Deep-Sea Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium, Linking Heavy Metal Resistance and Sulfur Cycle

Abstract

Sulfur cycling is primarily driven by sulfate reduction mediated by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in marine sediments. The dissimilatory sulfate reduction drives the production of enormous quantities of reduced sulfide and thereby the formation of highly insoluble metal sulfides in marine sediments. Here, a novel sulfate-reducing bacterium designated Pseudodesulfovibrio cashew SRB007 was isolated and purified from the deep-sea cold seep and proposed to represent a novel species in the genus of Pseudodesulfovibrio. A detailed description of the phenotypic traits, phylogenetic status and central metabolisms of strain SRB007 allowed the reconstruction of the metabolic potential and lifestyle of a novel member of deep-sea SRB. Notably, P. cashew SRB007 showed a strong ability to resist and remove different heavy metal ions including Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Hg²⁺. The dissimilatory sulfate reduction was demonstrated to contribute to the prominent removal capability of P. cashew SRB007 against different heavy metals via the formation of insoluble metal sulfides.