Cupriavidus metallidurans is a non-spore-forming, Gram-negative bacterium which is adapted to survive several forms of heavy metal stress. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

As a model and industrial system

Cupriavidus metallidurans is a bacterial species that belongs to the same family as Ralstonia solanacearum, a plant pathogen. ^[6]

This species is of ecological and industrial importance, as its relatives dominate mesophilic environments contaminated with heavy metals. ^{[2] [7]} C. metallidurans is used in the industrial sector for both heavy metal remediation and sensing. ^[4]

This aerobic chemolithoautotroph is capable of growing in a mineral salts environment with H₂, O₂, and CO₂ without an organic carbon source. ^[8] Its energy-providing subsystem is composed of only the hydrogenase, the respiratory chain, and the F1F0-ATPase, which remain separate from the anabolic subsystems.

C. metallidurans can also degrade xenobiotics in conditions with high levels of heavy metals. ^[9]

Strain CH34 has adapted to these harsh conditions through multiple heavy-metal resistance systems, encoded by the two indigenous megaplasmids, pMOL28 and pMOL30, on its chromosome(s). ^{[3] [4] [10]}

Ecology

C. metallidurans plays a vital role, together with Delftia acidovorans, in the formation of gold nuggets. It precipitates metallic gold from a solution of gold(III) chloride, a compound highly toxic to most other microorganisms. ^{[11] [12] [13]}

As a pathogen

A case of a 74 year old man infected with Cupriavidus metallidurans has been documented, ^[14] possibly raising concerns about the safety of using the bacteria for industrial purposes.

References

External links

• Article at Live Science
• Type strain of Cupriavidus metallidurans at BacDive - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase