Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 3, 2026

Agarose-Based Model Ecosystem for Cultivating Methanotrophs in a Methane-Oxygen Counter Gradient
Published on: September 6, 2024
Electron shuttles facilitate methane-dependent arsenate reduction in paddy soils
Ouyuan Jiang1, Yichang Wang2, Xiaochao Yuan2
1State Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
Abstract:
Methane-dependent arsenate reduction (M-AsR) occurs widely in paddy soils and can substantially enhance arsenic mobilization, posing potential ecological risks. However, the role of electron shuttles in this process remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the influence of anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) on M-AsR in paddy soils. Fourteen-day incubation showed that 1 mmol/L AQDS facilitated 50.88 % of arsenate reduction and 31.31 % of methane oxidation. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that AQDS significantly increased the abundance of functional genes associated with arsenate reduction (arrA, arsC) and anaerobic methane oxidation (mcrA) (P < 0.05). Microbial community analysis revealed that AQDS addition enriched Cloacibacterium, Sphingorhabdus, and Methylocystis, while decreasing the relative abundance of Methylobacter and Methylomonas. These findings indicate that electron shuttles facilitate M-AsR by modulating functional microbial populations, providing valuable insights into arsenic biogeochemistry and the coupled cycling of methane and arsenic in paddy soils.
Related Concept Videos
Microbes and Methanogenesis
Sulfur Assimilation
Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs
Microbial Bioremediation of Uranium
Microbial Interactions: Mutualism
Microbes and the Sulfur Cycle

