Bacterial respiration of arsenic and selenium

FEMS Microbiology Reviews
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Abstract

Oxyanions of arsenic and selenium can be used in microbial anaerobic respiration as terminal electron acceptors. The detection of arsenate and selenate respiring bacteria in numerous pristine and contaminated environments and their rapid appearance in enrichment culture suggest that they are widespread and metabolically active in nature. Although the bacterial species that have been isolated and characterized are still few in number, they are scattered throughout the bacterial domain and include Gram- positive bacteria, beta, gamma and epsilon Proteobacteria and the sole member of a deeply branching lineage of the bacteria, Chrysiogenes arsenatus. The oxidation of a number of organic substrates (i.e. acetate, lactate, pyruvate, glycerol, ethanol) or hydrogen can be coupled to the reduction of arsenate and selenate, but the actual donor used varies from species to species. Both periplasmic and membrane-associated arsenate and selenate reductases have been characterized. Although the number of subunits and molecular masses differs, they all contain molybdenum. The extent of the environmental impact on the transformation and mobilization of arsenic and selenium by microbial dissimilatory processes is only now being fully appreciated.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Bacterial respiration of arsenic and selenium
Series title FEMS Microbiology Reviews
DOI 10.1016/S0168-6445(99)00024-8
Volume 23
Issue 5
Year Published 1999
Language English
Publisher FEMS
Contributing office(s) Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
Description 13 p.
First page 615
Last page 627
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