Bacterial metabolic activities and cell surface structures and their interactions
with environmental physicochemical parameters are commonly recognized as the
key factors in BCCP. In complex natural environments and microbial communities,
the different pathways and mechanisms can also combine to induce precipitation.
The mechanisms of precipitation and the function of this process within both the
cell physiology and the microbial ecology of the precipitating organism, however,
still remain largely unresolved.
To understand how bacteria can affect the phenomenon at the geological scale, it
is necessary to understand how BCCP occurs at the microscale, i.e., of the single
cell. Understanding the molecular-scale events of BCCP is also necessary for
applied purposes (Decho 2010).
A possible function of BCCP could be seen as a response of precipitating
organisms to a stressful (micro)environment for calcium ions (Anderson et al.
1992). Intracellular calcium concentration must be maintained at low levels in the
prokaryotic as well as in the eukaryotic cell, because of calcium’s key role in
the regulation of many fundamental processes and its potential harmfulness for
cell structures (Smith 1995). The necessity to immobilize calcium outside the cell
to avoid intracellular [Ca
2+ ] rising to dangerous levels might have enabled
Prokaryotes, as well as Eukaryotes, to produce CaCO 3 (Brennan et al. 2004).
Improved understanding of controlled, induced, and influenced types of CC mineral
formation may reveal many common chemical and structural characteristics, even
if the three processes are different (Dupraz et al. 2009).
BCCP as a detoxification mechanism for cell survival would require active
mechanisms by the bacterial cells. A possible model of the role of active calcium
metabolism in BCCP was proposed by Hammes and Verstraete (2002).
Further work has still to be done to better elucidate the genetic control of BCCP
(Barabesi et al. 2007) as well as the molecular mechanisms acting at the cell
microscale.
References
Achal V, Mukherjee A, Basu PC, Sudhakara Reddy M (2009) Strain improvement of Sporosarcina
pasteurii for enhanced urease and calcite production. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 36:981–988
Anderson S, Appanna VD, Huang J, Viswanatha T (1992) A novel role for calcite in calcium
homeostasis. FEBS Lett 308:94–96
Arp G, Reimer A, Reitner J (2001) Photosynthesis-induced biofilm calcification and calcium
concentrations in Phanerozoic oceans. Science 292:1701–1704
Atlas RC, Rude PD (1988) Complete oxidation of solid phase sulfides by manganese and bacteria
in anoxic marine sediment. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 52:751–766
Barabesi C, Galizzi A, Mastromei G, Rossi M, Tamburini E, Perito B (2007) Bacillus subtilis gene
cluster involved in calcium carbonate biomineralization. J Bacteriol 189:228–235
Barabesi C, Salvianti F, Mastromei G, Perito B (2003) Microbial calcium carbonate precipitation
for reinforcement of monumental stones. In: Saiz-Jimenez C (ed) Molecular biology and
cultural heritage. AA Balkema Publishers, Lisse, The Netherlands, pp 209–212
136
B. Perito and G. Mastromei
with environmental physicochemical parameters are commonly recognized as the
key factors in BCCP. In complex natural environments and microbial communities,
the different pathways and mechanisms can also combine to induce precipitation.
The mechanisms of precipitation and the function of this process within both the
cell physiology and the microbial ecology of the precipitating organism, however,
still remain largely unresolved.
To understand how bacteria can affect the phenomenon at the geological scale, it
is necessary to understand how BCCP occurs at the microscale, i.e., of the single
cell. Understanding the molecular-scale events of BCCP is also necessary for
applied purposes (Decho 2010).
A possible function of BCCP could be seen as a response of precipitating
organisms to a stressful (micro)environment for calcium ions (Anderson et al.
1992). Intracellular calcium concentration must be maintained at low levels in the
prokaryotic as well as in the eukaryotic cell, because of calcium’s key role in
the regulation of many fundamental processes and its potential harmfulness for
cell structures (Smith 1995). The necessity to immobilize calcium outside the cell
to avoid intracellular [Ca
2+ ] rising to dangerous levels might have enabled
Prokaryotes, as well as Eukaryotes, to produce CaCO 3 (Brennan et al. 2004).
Improved understanding of controlled, induced, and influenced types of CC mineral
formation may reveal many common chemical and structural characteristics, even
if the three processes are different (Dupraz et al. 2009).
BCCP as a detoxification mechanism for cell survival would require active
mechanisms by the bacterial cells. A possible model of the role of active calcium
metabolism in BCCP was proposed by Hammes and Verstraete (2002).
Further work has still to be done to better elucidate the genetic control of BCCP
(Barabesi et al. 2007) as well as the molecular mechanisms acting at the cell
microscale.
References
Achal V, Mukherjee A, Basu PC, Sudhakara Reddy M (2009) Strain improvement of Sporosarcina
pasteurii for enhanced urease and calcite production. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 36:981–988
Anderson S, Appanna VD, Huang J, Viswanatha T (1992) A novel role for calcite in calcium
homeostasis. FEBS Lett 308:94–96
Arp G, Reimer A, Reitner J (2001) Photosynthesis-induced biofilm calcification and calcium
concentrations in Phanerozoic oceans. Science 292:1701–1704
Atlas RC, Rude PD (1988) Complete oxidation of solid phase sulfides by manganese and bacteria
in anoxic marine sediment. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 52:751–766
Barabesi C, Galizzi A, Mastromei G, Rossi M, Tamburini E, Perito B (2007) Bacillus subtilis gene
cluster involved in calcium carbonate biomineralization. J Bacteriol 189:228–235
Barabesi C, Salvianti F, Mastromei G, Perito B (2003) Microbial calcium carbonate precipitation
for reinforcement of monumental stones. In: Saiz-Jimenez C (ed) Molecular biology and
cultural heritage. AA Balkema Publishers, Lisse, The Netherlands, pp 209–212
136
B. Perito and G. Mastromei