ADAPTATION TO HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE SHAPES PROTEOME DYNAMICS IN CORROSIVE SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA

Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) poses a major threat to metal structures across various industries, resulting in substantial economic losses and environmental risks. As deep-sea exploration expands, understanding MIC under high hydrostatic pressure becomes increasingly critical. Microorganisms in these extreme environments undergo distinct structural and metabolic adaptations to survive and thrive. In this study, we employed a proteomic approach to examine the lifestyle and corrosive potential of two sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) species with different pressure optima under simulated depths ranging from the sea surface to 3000 meters. Species-specific corrosion mechanisms and unique proteomic signatures associated with pressure adaptation were identified, correlating with opposing trends in corrosion rates. Our findings emphasize the need to characterize microbial physiology in relation to environmental conditions to better predict corrosion risks in extreme deep-sea settings.