Acidification-driven mineral weathering ability of bacteria: genetics, conservation, and regulations.

Acidification-driven mineral weathering by bacteria involves newly identified genes, with implications for nutrient cycling and ecosystem health.

• Why it matters: Understanding bacterial mineral weathering is crucial because it sustains nutrient availability in nutrient-poor ecosystems, yet its genetic and ecological mechanisms remain poorly understood.
• What they did: The review synthesizes interdisciplinary research on acidification-driven mineral weathering bacteria, focusing on genetic determinants, regulatory mechanisms, and factors influencing their effectiveness, including transcriptomics, proteomics, mineralogy, and geochemistry.
• The result: Findings reveal new genes involved in bacterial acidification processes, providing insights into their evolution and regulation, which could inform strategies to harness or mitigate their ecological impacts.