skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Response to Comments on "A Bacterium That Can Grow Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus"

Journal Article · · Science

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.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
1021547
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-472592; SCEHDK; TRN: US201117%%150
Journal Information:
Science, Vol. 332, Issue 6034; ISSN 0193-4511
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (24)

Coupled Arsenotrophy in a Hot Spring Photosynthetic Biofilm at Mono Lake, California journal May 2010
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus" journal May 2011
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus" journal May 2011
Arsenic-75 nuclear magnetic resonance: Study of the interaction of arsenate with various molecules of biological interest journal May 1992
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus" journal May 2011
Kinetics of the hydrolysis of arsenate(V) triesters journal March 1981
Kinetics of pyroarsenate hydrolysis in aqueous solution journal January 1977
The Protein Data Bank journal January 2000
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus" journal May 2011
Biochemistry of arsenic detoxification journal August 2002
Are bacteria more like plants or animals? Growth rate and resource dependence of bacterial C : N : P stoichiometry journal February 2003
Determination of arsenic species: A critical review of methods and applications, 2000–2003 journal January 2004
Arsenate reductases in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. journal October 2002
Editor's Note journal May 2011
Arsoniumphospholipid in algae journal September 1978
A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus journal December 2010
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus" journal May 2011
Adenosine Triphosphate Content of Marine Bacteria1: atp in Bacteria journal April 1967
XAS Study of Arsenic Coordination in Euglena gracilis Exposed to Arsenite journal July 2008
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus" journal May 2011
Did nature also choose arsenic? journal January 2009
Incorporation of Radioarsenate into Proteins and Nucleic Acids of the Ehrlich Lettré Ascites Carcinoma In Vitro journal April 1965
Bacterial respiration of arsenic and selenium journal October 1999
Comment on "A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus" journal May 2011

Similar Records

A bacterium that can grow by using arsenic instead of phosphorus
Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Science · OSTI ID:1021547

A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus
Journal Article · Tue Nov 30 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Methods in Enzymology, na, na, May 5, 2011, pp. 91-114 · OSTI ID:1021547

A Bacterium that Can Grow by using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus
Journal Article · Wed Sep 11 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · Science 332:1163,2011 · OSTI ID:1021547