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Dissimilatory reduction of extracellular electron acceptors in anaerobic respiration
Publikationstyp
Journal Article
Publikationsdatum
2012-01-30
Sprache
English
Enthalten in
Volume
78
Issue
4
Start Page
913
End Page
921
Citation
Applied and Environmental Microbiology 78 (4): 913-921 (2012-02-01)
Publisher DOI
Scopus ID
PubMed ID
22179232
Publisher
Soc.
An extension of the respiratory chain to the cell surface is necessary to reduce extracellular electron acceptors like ferric iron or manganese oxides. In the past few years, more and more compounds were revealed to be reduced at the surface of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, and the list does not seem to have an end so far. Shewanella as well as Geobacter strains are model organisms to discover the biochemistry that enables the dissimilatory reduction of extracellular electron acceptors. In both cases, c-type cytochromes are essential electron-transferring proteins. They make the journey of respiratory electrons from the cytoplasmic membrane through periplasm and over the outer membrane possible. Outer membrane cytochromes have the ability to catalyze the last step of the respiratory chains. Still, recent discoveries provided evidence that they are accompanied by further factors that allow or at least facilitate extracellular reduction. This review gives a condensed overview of our current knowledge of extracellular respiration, highlights recent discoveries, and discusses critically the influence of different strategies for terminal electron transfer reactions.
DDC Class
600: Technik
610: Medizin