Discovery and characterization of UipA, a uranium- and iron-binding PepSY protein involved in uranium tolerance by soil bacteria.

Uranium is a naturally occurring radionuclide. Its redistribution, primarily due to human activities, can have adverse effects on human and non-human biota, which poses environmental concerns. The molecular mechanisms of uranium tolerance and the cellular response induced by uranium exposure in bacteria are not yet fully understood.

Proteogenomic insights into uranium tolerance of a Chernobyl's Microbacterium bacterial isolate.

Unlabelled: Microbacterium oleivorans A9 is a uranium-tolerant actinobacteria isolated from the trench T22 located near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. This site is contaminated with different radionuclides including uranium. To observe the molecular changes at the proteome level occurring in this strain upon uranyl exposure and understand molecular mechanisms explaining its uranium tolerance, we established its draft genome and used this raw information to perform an in-depth proteogenomics study.

Soil prokaryotic communities in Chernobyl waste disposal trench T22 are modulated by organic matter and radionuclide contamination.

After the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in 1986, contaminated soils, vegetation from the Red Forest and other radioactive debris were buried within trenches. In this area, trench T22 has long been a pilot site for the study of radionuclide migration in soil. Here, we used 454 pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes to obtain a comprehensive view of the bacterial and archaeal diversity in soils collected inside and in the vicinity of the trench T22 and to investigate the impact of radioactive waste disposal on prokaryotic communities.