Project Details
Projekt
Bacterial Anaerobic Phosphite Oxidation
Subject Area
Microbial Ecology and Applied Microbiology
Term
from 2006 to 2008
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 16420215
The element phosphorus is vital for all forms of life. Its main redox state in biochemistry is phosphate [+V], although scarce amounts can be found also in the redox state of phosphite [+III] and hypophosphite [+1]. The utilization of these reduced inorganic phosphorus sources as electron donors in the energy metabolism of bacteria are yet to be discovered as a process. The first proof of quantitative phosphite oxidation as a type of energy metabolism has been found in the host laboratory, through the isolation of a pure culture of an anaerobic phosphiteoxidizing bacterium, affiliated to the genus Desulfotignum. The cell yield with phosphite compared to any other substrate used was superior, indicating efficient exploration of the total energy provided through this process. Moreover, a specific protein band with molecular mass of about 42 kDa was detected hi cell-free extracts of cells grown with phosphite. This band was not observed in extracts of cells grown on any other substrate, which indicate its specific involvement in phosphite oxidation. Further studies of this protein fraction will reveal its structure, localization and specific activity. Based on this information a new type of bacterial energy metabolism in regard to the global phosphorus cycle, and microbial diversity, will be described and studied.
DFG Programme
Research Fellowships
