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Bacterially Induced Mineralization of Calcium Carbonate: The Role of Exopolysaccharides and Capsular Polysaccharides

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2007

Claudia Ercole ,
Paola Cacchio ,
Anna Lucia Botta ,
Valeria Centi  and
Aldo Lepidi
Claudia Ercole
Affiliation:
Department of Basic and Applied Biology, University of L'Aquila, 67010 L'Aquila, Italy
Paola Cacchio
Affiliation:
Department of Basic and Applied Biology, University of L'Aquila, 67010 L'Aquila, Italy
Anna Lucia Botta
Affiliation:
Department of Basic and Applied Biology, University of L'Aquila, 67010 L'Aquila, Italy
Valeria Centi
Affiliation:
Department of Basic and Applied Biology, University of L'Aquila, 67010 L'Aquila, Italy
Aldo Lepidi
Affiliation:
Department of Basic and Applied Biology, University of L'Aquila, 67010 L'Aquila, Italy
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Abstract

Bacterially induced carbonate mineralization has been proposed as a new method for the restoration of limestones in historic buildings and monuments. We describe here the formation of calcite crystals by extracellular polymeric substances isolated from Bacillus firmus and Bacillus sphaericus. We isolated bacterial outer structures (glycocalix and parietal polymers), such as exopolysaccharides (EPS) and capsular polysaccharides (CPS) and checked for their influence on calcite precipitation. CPS and EPS extracted from both B. firmus and B. sphaericus were able to mediate CaCO3 precipitation in vitro. X-ray microanalysis showed that in all cases the formed crystals were calcite. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the shape of the crystals depended on the fractions utilized. These results suggest the possibility that biochemical composition of CPS or EPS influences the resulting morphology of CaCO3. There were no precipitates in the blank samples. CPS and EPS comprised of proteins and glycoproteins. Positive alcian blue staining also reveals acidic polysaccharides in CPS and EPS fractions. Proteins with molecular masses of 25–40 kDa and 70 kDa in the CPS fraction were highly expressed in the presence of calcium oxalate. This high level of synthesis could be related to the binding of calcium ions and carbonate deposition.

Keywords

bacteria glycocalyxcalcite precipitationhistoric monument protectioncalcifying bacteriaSEM
Type
Research Article
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 13 , Issue 1: Special Issue: Environmental, Industrial, and Applied Microbiology , February 2007 , pp. 42 - 50
Copyright
2007 Microscopy Society of America

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References

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