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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
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Bioprospecting of Extremophilic Microorganisms to Address Environmental Pollution
Published on: December 30, 2021
A novel arsenate respiring isolate that can utilize aromatic substrates.
Anbo Liu1, Elizabeth Garcia-Dominguez, E D Rhine
1Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, 08901-8520, USA.
FEMS Microbiology Ecology
|August 29, 2009
Summary
A novel anaerobic bacterium, strain Y5, was discovered in Onondaga Lake sediment. This microbe respires arsenate [As(V)] and metabolizes aromatic compounds, impacting arsenic biogeochemical cycling.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Environmental Science
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Anaerobic respiration plays a crucial role in contaminant degradation.
- Arsenate [As(V)] is a common environmental contaminant.
- Microbial metabolism of arsenic is vital for understanding its environmental fate.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize novel anaerobic bacteria capable of arsenate respiration.
- To investigate the metabolic capabilities of a newly isolated bacterium, strain Y5.
- To assess the potential role of such microorganisms in arsenic biogeochemical cycling.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of anaerobic bacteria from lake sediment.
- Cultivation and characterization of bacterial isolates, including strain Y5.
- Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rDNA sequencing.
- Physiological tests to determine electron donors and acceptors.
Main Results:
- Isolation of a novel anaerobic, spore-forming, motile rod, strain Y5.
- Strain Y5 utilizes arsenate [As(V)] as a respiratory electron acceptor.
- Strain Y5 can metabolize aromatic compounds (e.g., benzoate, toluene) coupled to arsenate reduction.
- Strain Y5 also uses H(2)+CO(2) chemoautotrophically and reduces other electron acceptors like nitrate, sulfate, and Fe(III).
- Phylogenetic analysis places strain Y5 within the genus Desulfosporosinus.
Conclusions:
- Strain Y5 represents a novel bacterium with significant metabolic versatility, including arsenate respiration.
- The findings highlight the widespread potential for microbial arsenate reduction in mixed-contaminant environments.
- This research contributes to understanding the biogeochemical cycling of arsenic and the role of anaerobic microorganisms.
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