Acidification-driven mineral weathering ability of bacteria: genetics, conservation, and regulations
Mineral weathering (MWe) is a fundamental driver of nutrient release in nutrient-poor ecosystems, sustaining both nutrient cycling and plant growth. Among the strategies employed by MWe bacteria—acidification, chelation, and oxidoreduction reactions—acidification stands out as the most widespread but least understood at the ecological and genetic levels. This review synthesizes current knowledge on acidification-driven MWe bacteria, the factors determining their effectiveness, genetic determinants, and regulatory mechanisms revealed through interdisciplinary approaches (transcriptomics/proteomics, mineralogy, and geochemistry). We also highlight newly discovered genes and critically assess the limitations of current approaches, offering new perspectives on the mechanisms and evolution underlying bacterial contributions to MWe.
