This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sung, Y.
Right arrow Articles by Löffler, F. E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sung, Y.
Right arrow Articles by Löffler, F. E.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Sung, Y.
Right arrow Articles by Löffler, F. E.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2006, p. 2775-2782, Vol. 72, No. 4
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.4.2775-2782.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Geobacter lovleyi sp. nov. Strain SZ, a Novel Metal-Reducing and Tetrachloroethene-Dechlorinating Bacterium{dagger}

Youlboong Sung,1,{ddagger} Kelly E. Fletcher,1 Kirsti M. Ritalahti,1 Robert P. Apkarian,6 Natalia Ramos-Hernández,3 Robert A. Sanford,4 Noha M. Mesbah,5 and Frank E. Löffler1,2*

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering,1 School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0512,2 Industrial Biotechnology Program, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 00681-9012,3 Department of Geology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801-2352,4 Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2605,5 Integrated Microscopy and Microanalytical Facility, Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 303226

Received 8 December 2005/ Accepted 10 February 2006

A bacterial isolate, designated strain SZ, was obtained from noncontaminated creek sediment microcosms based on its ability to derive energy from acetate oxidation coupled to tetrachloroethene (PCE)-to-cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) dechlorination (i.e., chlororespiration). Hydrogen and pyruvate served as alternate electron donors for strain SZ, and the range of electron acceptors included (reduced products are given in brackets) PCE and trichloroethene [cis-DCE], nitrate [ammonium], fumarate [succinate], Fe(III) [Fe(II)], malate [succinate], Mn(IV) [Mn(II)], U(VI) [U(IV)], and elemental sulfur [sulfide]. PCE and soluble Fe(III) (as ferric citrate) were reduced at rates of 56.5 and 164 nmol min–1 mg of protein–1, respectively, with acetate as the electron donor. Alternate electron acceptors, such as U(VI) and nitrate, did not inhibit PCE dechlorination and were consumed concomitantly. With PCE, Fe(III) (as ferric citrate), and nitrate as electron acceptors, H2 was consumed to threshold concentrations of 0.08 ± 0.03 nM, 0.16 ± 0.07 nM, and 0.5 ± 0.06 nM, respectively, and acetate was consumed to 3.0 ± 2.1 nM, 1.2 ± 0.5 nM, and 3.6 ± 0.25 nM, respectively. Apparently, electron acceptor-specific acetate consumption threshold concentrations exist, suggesting that similar to the hydrogen threshold model, the measurement of acetate threshold concentrations offers an additional diagnostic tool to delineate terminal electron-accepting processes in anaerobic subsurface environments. Genetic and phenotypic analyses classify strain SZ as the type strain of the new species, Geobacter lovleyi sp. nov., with Geobacter (formerly Trichlorobacter) thiogenes as the closest relative. Furthermore, the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences recovered from PCE-dechlorinating consortia and chloroethene-contaminated subsurface environments suggests that Geobacter lovleyi belongs to a distinct, dechlorinating clade within the metal-reducing Geobacter group. Substrate versatility, consumption of electron donors to low threshold concentrations, and simultaneous reduction of electron acceptors suggest that strain SZ-type organisms have desirable characteristics for bioremediation applications.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 311 Ferst Drive, 3228 ES&T Building, Atlanta, GA 30332-0512. Phone: (404) 894-0279. Fax: (404) 894-8266. E-mail: frank.loeffler{at}ce.gatech.edu.

{dagger} In memory of Rob Apkarian. His microscopy skills and enthusiasm will truly be missed.

{ddagger} Present address: University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019.


Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2006, p. 2775-2782, Vol. 72, No. 4
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.4.2775-2782.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.




This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Madden, A. S., Palumbo, A. V., Ravel, B., Vishnivetskaya, T. A., Phelps, T. J., Schadt, C. W., Brandt, C. C. (2009). Donor-dependent Extent of Uranium Reduction for Bioremediation of Contaminated Sediment Microcosms. J. Environ. Qual. 38: 53-60 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Strycharz, S. M., Woodard, T. L., Johnson, J. P., Nevin, K. P., Sanford, R. A., Loffler, F. E., Lovley, D. R. (2008). Graphite Electrode as a Sole Electron Donor for Reductive Dechlorination of Tetrachlorethene by Geobacter lovleyi. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 5943-5947 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Fletcher, K. E., Ritalahti, K. M., Pennell, K. D., Takamizawa, K., Loffler, F. E. (2008). Resolution of Culture Clostridium bifermentans DPH-1 into Two Populations, a Clostridium sp. and Tetrachloroethene-Dechlorinating Desulfitobacterium hafniense Strain JH1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 6141-6143 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cardenas, E., Wu, W.-M., Leigh, M. B., Carley, J., Carroll, S., Gentry, T., Luo, J., Watson, D., Gu, B., Ginder-Vogel, M., Kitanidis, P. K., Jardine, P. M., Zhou, J., Criddle, C. S., Marsh, T. L., Tiedje, J. M. (2008). Microbial Communities in Contaminated Sediments, Associated with Bioremediation of Uranium to Submicromolar Levels. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 3718-3729 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Amos, B. K., Sung, Y., Fletcher, K. E., Gentry, T. J., Wu, W.-M., Criddle, C. S., Zhou, J., Loffler, F. E. (2007). Detection and Quantification of Geobacter lovleyi Strain SZ: Implications for Bioremediation at Tetrachloroethene- and Uranium-Impacted Sites. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 6898-6904 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bedard, D. L., Ritalahti, K. M., Loffler, F. E. (2007). The Dehalococcoides Population in Sediment-Free Mixed Cultures Metabolically Dechlorinates the Commercial Polychlorinated Biphenyl Mixture Aroclor 1260. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 2513-2521 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nevin, K. P., Holmes, D. E., Woodard, T. L., Covalla, S. F., Lovley, D. R. (2007). Reclassification of Trichlorobacter thiogenes as Geobacter thiogenes comb. nov.. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 57: 463-466 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Shelobolina, E. S., Nevin, K. P., Blakeney-Hayward, J. D., Johnsen, C. V., Plaia, T. W., Krader, P., Woodard, T., Holmes, D. E., VanPraagh, C. G., Lovley, D. R. (2007). Geobacter pickeringii sp. nov., Geobacter argillaceus sp. nov. and Pelosinus fermentans gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from subsurface kaolin lenses. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 57: 126-135 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hori, T., Noll, M., Igarashi, Y., Friedrich, M. W., Conrad, R. (2007). Identification of Acetate-Assimilating Microorganisms under Methanogenic Conditions in Anoxic Rice Field Soil by Comparative Stable Isotope Probing of RNA. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 101-109 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bedard, D. L., Bailey, J. J., Reiss, B. L., Jerzak, G. V. S. (2006). Development and Characterization of Stable Sediment-Free Anaerobic Bacterial Enrichment Cultures That Dechlorinate Aroclor 1260. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 2460-2470 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ritalahti, K. M., Amos, B. K., Sung, Y., Wu, Q., Koenigsberg, S. S., Loffler, F. E. (2006). Quantitative PCR Targeting 16S rRNA and Reductive Dehalogenase Genes Simultaneously Monitors Multiple Dehalococcoides Strains. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 2765-2774 [Abstract] [Full Text]