U.S. Department of EnergyOffice of Scientific and Technical Information
Response to Comments on "A Bacterium That Can Grow Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus"
Abstract
Concerns have been raised about our recent study describing a bacterium that can grow using arsenic (As) instead of phosphorus (P). Our data suggested that As could act as a substitute for P in major biomolecules in this organism. Although the issues raised are of investigative interest, we contend that they do not invalidate our conclusions. We argue that while no single line of evidence we presented was sufficient to support our interpretation of the data, taken as an entire dataset we find no plausible alternative to our conclusions. Here we reply to the critiques and provide additional arguments supporting the assessment of the data we reported.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1021547
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-JRNL-472592
Journal ID: ISSN 0193-4511; SCEHDK; TRN: US201117%%150
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal Name:
- Science
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 332; Journal Issue: 6034; Journal ID: ISSN 0193-4511
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; ARSENIC; PHOSPHORUS; BIOCHEMISTRY
Citation Formats
Wolfe-Simon, F, Blum, J S, Kulp, T R, Gordon, G W, Hoeft, S E, Pett-Ridge, J, Stolz, J F, Webb, S M, Weber, P K, Davies, P W, Anbar, A D, and Oremland, R S. Response to Comments on "A Bacterium That Can Grow Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus". United States: N. p., 2011.
Web. doi:10.1126/science.1202098.
Wolfe-Simon, F, Blum, J S, Kulp, T R, Gordon, G W, Hoeft, S E, Pett-Ridge, J, Stolz, J F, Webb, S M, Weber, P K, Davies, P W, Anbar, A D, & Oremland, R S. Response to Comments on "A Bacterium That Can Grow Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus". United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1202098
Wolfe-Simon, F, Blum, J S, Kulp, T R, Gordon, G W, Hoeft, S E, Pett-Ridge, J, Stolz, J F, Webb, S M, Weber, P K, Davies, P W, Anbar, A D, and Oremland, R S. 2011.
"Response to Comments on "A Bacterium That Can Grow Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus"". United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1202098. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1021547.
@article{osti_1021547,
title = {Response to Comments on "A Bacterium That Can Grow Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus"},
author = {Wolfe-Simon, F and Blum, J S and Kulp, T R and Gordon, G W and Hoeft, S E and Pett-Ridge, J and Stolz, J F and Webb, S M and Weber, P K and Davies, P W and Anbar, A D and Oremland, R S},
abstractNote = {Concerns have been raised about our recent study describing a bacterium that can grow using arsenic (As) instead of phosphorus (P). Our data suggested that As could act as a substitute for P in major biomolecules in this organism. Although the issues raised are of investigative interest, we contend that they do not invalidate our conclusions. We argue that while no single line of evidence we presented was sufficient to support our interpretation of the data, taken as an entire dataset we find no plausible alternative to our conclusions. Here we reply to the critiques and provide additional arguments supporting the assessment of the data we reported.},
doi = {10.1126/science.1202098},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1021547},
journal = {Science},
issn = {0193-4511},
number = 6034,
volume = 332,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 07 00:00:00 EST 2011},
month = {Mon Mar 07 00:00:00 EST 2011}
}
Other availability
Find in Google Scholar
Search WorldCat to find libraries that may hold this journal
Save to My Library
You must Sign In or Create an Account in order to save documents to your library.
Works referenced in this record:
Coupled Arsenotrophy in a Hot Spring Photosynthetic Biofilm at Mono Lake, California
journal, May 2010
- Hoeft, S. E.; Kulp, T. R.; Han, S.
- Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 76, Issue 14
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus"
journal, May 2011
- Schoepp-Cothenet, B.; Nitschke, W.; Barge, L. M.
- Science, Vol. 332, Issue 6034
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus"
journal, May 2011
- Benner, S. A.
- Science, Vol. 332, Issue 6034
Arsenic-75 nuclear magnetic resonance: Study of the interaction of arsenate with various molecules of biological interest
journal, May 1992
- Geraldes, C. F. G. C.; Saraiva, M. E.; Dias, B. A.
- Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, Vol. 46, Issue 2
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus"
journal, May 2011
- Cotner, J. B.; Hall, E. K.
- Science, Vol. 332, Issue 6034
Kinetics of the hydrolysis of arsenate(V) triesters
journal, March 1981
- Baer, Carl D.; Edwards, John O.; Rieger, Philip H.
- Inorganic Chemistry, Vol. 20, Issue 3
Kinetics of pyroarsenate hydrolysis in aqueous solution
journal, January 1977
- Richmond, Tg; Johnson, Jr; Edwards, Jo
- Australian Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 30, Issue 6
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus"
journal, May 2011
- Oehler, S.
- Science, Vol. 332, Issue 6034
Biochemistry of arsenic detoxification
journal, August 2002
- Rosen, Barry P.
- FEBS Letters, Vol. 529, Issue 1
Are bacteria more like plants or animals? Growth rate and resource dependence of bacterial C : N : P stoichiometry
journal, February 2003
- Makino, W.; Cotner, J. B.; Sterner, R. W.
- Functional Ecology, Vol. 17, Issue 1
Determination of arsenic species: A critical review of methods and applications, 2000–2003
journal, January 2004
- Francesconi, Kevin A.; Kuehnelt, Doris
- The Analyst, Vol. 129, Issue 5
Arsenate reductases in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
journal, October 2002
- Mukhopadhyay, Rita; Rosen, Barry P.
- Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 110, Issue suppl 5
Arsoniumphospholipid in algae
journal, September 1978
- Cooney, R. V.; Mumma, R. O.; Benson, A. A.
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 75, Issue 9
A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus
journal, December 2010
- Wolfe-Simon, F.; Blum, J. S.; Kulp, T. R.
- Science, Vol. 332, Issue 6034
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus"
journal, May 2011
- Csabai, I.; Szathmary, E.
- Science, Vol. 332, Issue 6034
Adenosine Triphosphate Content of Marine Bacteria1: atp in Bacteria
journal, April 1967
- Hamilton, Robert D.; Holm-Hansen, Osmund
- Limnology and Oceanography, Vol. 12, Issue 2
XAS Study of Arsenic Coordination in Euglena gracilis Exposed to Arsenite
journal, July 2008
- Miot, Jennyfer; Morin, Guillaume; Skouri-Panet, Fériel
- Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 42, Issue 14
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus"
journal, May 2011
- Borhani, D. W.
- Science, Vol. 332, Issue 6034
Did nature also choose arsenic?
journal, January 2009
- Wolfe-Simon, Felisa; Davies, Paul C. W.; Anbar, Ariel D.
- International Journal of Astrobiology, Vol. 8, Issue 2
Incorporation of Radioarsenate into Proteins and Nucleic Acids of the Ehrlich Lettré Ascites Carcinoma In Vitro
journal, April 1965
- Kay, E. R. M.
- Nature, Vol. 206, Issue 4982
Bacterial respiration of arsenic and selenium
journal, October 1999
- Stolz, John F.; Oremland, Ronald S.
- FEMS Microbiology Reviews, Vol. 23, Issue 5
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus"
journal, May 2011
- Redfield, R. J.
- Science, Vol. 332, Issue 6034