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Updated: Nov 30, 2025

Self-standing Electrochemical Set-up to Enrich Anode-respiring Bacteria On-site
Published on: July 24, 2018
Enabling anoxic acetate assimilation by electrode-driven respiration in the obligate aerobe, Pseudomonas putida
Sakuntala Mutyala1, Changman Kim2, Young Eun Song1
1School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, 63 Busandeahak-ro, Geumjeong-Gu, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
This study examined the obligate aerobe, Pseudomonas putida, using acetate as the sole carbon and energy source, and respiration via an anode as the terminal electron acceptor under anoxic conditions. P. putida showed significantly different acetate assimilation in a closed-circuit microbial fuel cell (CC-MFC) compared to an open circuit MFC (OC-MFC). More than 72% (2.6 mmol) of acetate was consumed during 84 hrs in the CC-MFC in contrast to the no acetate consumption observed in the OC-MFC. The CC-MFC produced 150 μA (87 C) from acetate metabolization. Electrode-based respiration reduced the NADH/NAD+ ratio anaerobically, which is similar to the aerobic condition. The CC-MFC showed significantly higher acetyl-CoA synthetase activity than the OC-MFC (0.028 vs. 0.001 μmol/min/mg), which was comparable to the aerobic condition (circa 60%). Overall, electrode-based respiration enables P. putida to metabolize acetate under anoxic conditions and provide a platform to regulate the bacterial redox balance without oxygen.
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