Multidimensional research progress on microbial resistance mechanisms and ecological bioremediation strategies under acid mine drainage stress.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a globally pervasive legacy of sulfide ore mining, marked by extreme acidity, high sulfate, and toxic metal loads that destabilize aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. This review synthesizes how microorganisms function both as sentinels of AMD disturbance and as engines of recovery. Multi-stressor pressures-low-pH, metal toxicity, redox disequilibrium, and nutrient limitation-are resolved at the level of cellular targets, encompassing membrane injury, ROS-driven macromolecule damage, metabolic reprogramming, ion-efflux systems, biomineralization, and horizontal gene transfer. These stresses are then linked to community-level outcomes, documenting niche shifts toward acidophiles, cooperation among sulfur- and iron-cyclers and sulfate-reducing bacteria, and the functional promise of "microbial dark matter." From a gene-to-function perspective, adaptive regulation of proton-handling and metal-homeostasis modules, pathway rewiring, and co-selection of metal and antibiotic resistance are highlighted. On the translational front, sulfate-reducing bioprecipitation, constructed wetlands coupled with microbial fuel cells, and in situ biostimulation/bioaugmentation are evaluated, and their operating windows and failure modes are clarified. Key bottlenecks include low-temperature/low-pH suppression, unresolved microbe-mineral interfacial electron transfer, and incomplete risk governance for resistance genes. An integrative roadmap is outlined: single-cell omics to resolve heterogeneity, synthetic-biology "super-remediators" with programmable control, and Earth Microbiome Project-enabled discovery combined with multi-omics-informed modeling. Overall, a mechanistic, systems-level framework is advanced that couples stress-resilience biology to design rules for scalable, predictable, and sustainable AMD bioremediation.