Work

Phenotypic and genomic characterization of a halophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfoplanes aerotolerans sp. nov. from a petroleum reservoir and its possible implication in pipeline corrosion

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction The issue of biogenic corrosion of steel equipment is especially pressing for petroleum reservoirs with high-salinity formation water containing sulfate. The predominance of sulfate-reducing bacteria of the genus Desulfoplanes in formation water samples from petroleum reservoirs in Tatarstan (Russia) was previously demonstrated using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and metagenomic analysis. The present study is devoted to the isolation, phenotypic and genomic characterization of the sulfate-reducing bacterial strain Desulfoplanes sp. PS50 T and its involvement in steel corrosion. Studying the composition of sulfidogenic prokaryotes and their corrosion activity is necessary in order to find a way to suppress their growth and minimize corrosion of oilfield equipment. Methods A new sulfate-reducing bacterial strain Desulfoplanes sp. PS50 T was studied using polyphase taxonomy approaches, including genome sequencing and functional annotation. The ability to cause corrosion of the steel coupon and the effect of three biocides on the growth of the strain were tested. Results Sulfate-reducing strain Desulfoplanes sp. PS50 T isolated from an Arkhangelskoe petroleum reservoir (Tatarstan, Russia) was phenotypically characterized. The optimal growth of the strain PS50 T was observed at a temperature of 25–30 °C, in the presence of 40–50 g NaCl·L −1 and at pH 7.5. The strain utilized formate, lactate, yeast extract, and H 2 /CO 2 /acetate as carbon and energy sources for reduction of sulfate to sulfide. The strain exhibited both anaerobic and microaerophilic growth (in the presence of 5% O 2 ( v/v ). Based on physiological features and genomic and phylogenomic analyses, strain PS50 T (=VKM B-4014 T = KCTC 35101 T ) has been assigned to a new species, Desulfoplanes aerotolerans sp. nov. Genomic analysis revealed genes of sulfate reduction, hydrogenase, and iron uptake, which confirms the strain’s ability to participate in the steel biocorrosion. The genome also contains the genes that determine the main metabolic pathways and the strain’s adaptation to the high-salinity conditions of its habitat. Discussion This study provides experimental proofs on the ability of sulfate-reducing bacteria of the genus Desulfoplanes to participate in general and pitting corrosion, confirmed by deep genome-resolved detection of corrosion-determining genes.

Source: Frontiers in Microbiology

DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2026.1968038