Multi-heme Cytochromes Provide a Pathway for Survival in Energy-limited Environments

Overview

Journal Sci Adv

Specialties Biology
Science

Date 2018 Feb 22

PMID 29464208

Citations 42

Authors

Xiao Deng

Naoshi Dohmae

Kenneth H Nealson

Kazuhito Hashimoto

Akihiro Okamoto

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Bacterial reduction of oxidized sulfur species (OSS) is critical for energy production in anaerobic marine subsurfaces. In organic-poor sediments, H has been considered as a major energy source for bacterial respiration. We identified outer-membrane cytochromes (OMCs) that are broadly conserved in sediment OSS-respiring bacteria and enable cells to directly use electrons from insoluble minerals via extracellular electron transport. Biochemical, transcriptomic, and microscopic analyses revealed that the identified OMCs were highly expressed on the surface of cells and nanofilaments in response to electron donor limitation. This electron uptake mechanism provides sufficient but minimum energy to drive the reduction of sulfate and other OSS. These results suggest a widespread mechanism for survival of OSS-respiring bacteria via electron uptake from solid minerals in energy-poor marine sediments.

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