Genes for Uranium Bioremediation in the Anaerobic Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria: Desulfovibrio mutants with altered sensitivity to oxidative stress

Conference · Wed Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2006

OSTI ID:894936

Payne, Rayford B; Ringbauer, Jr, Joseph A; Wall, Judy D

Sulfate-reducing bacteria of the genus Desulfovibrio are ubiquitous in anaerobic environments such as groundwater, sediments, and the gastrointestinal tract of animals. Because of the ability of Desulfovibrio to reduce radionuclides and metals through both enzymatic and chemical means, they have been proposed as a means to bioremediate heavy metal contaminated sites. Although classically thought of as strict anaerobes, Desulfovibrio species are surprisingly aerotolerant. Our objective is to understand the response of Desulfovibrio to oxidative stress so that we may more effectively utilize them in bioremediation of heavy metals in mixed aerobic-anaerobic environments. The enzymes superoxide dismutase, superoxide reductase, catalase, and rubrerythrin have been shown by others to be involved in the detoxification of reactive oxygen species in Desulfovibrio. Some members of the genus Desulfovibrio can even reduce molecular oxygen to water via a membrane bound electron transport chain with the concomitant production of ATP, although their ability to grow with oxygen as the sole electron acceptor is still questioned.

• Research Organization: University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• OSTI ID: 894936
• Report Number(s): CONF-ERSP2006-67; TRN: US0700345
• Resource Relation: Conference: Annual Environmental Remediation Sciences Program PI Meeting, April 3-5, 2006, Warrenton, VA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
BINDING ENERGY
BIOREMEDIATION
CATALASE
DESULFOVIBRIO
DETOXIFICATION
ELECTRONS
ENZYMES
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
GENES
MEMBRANES
MUTANTS
OXYGEN
RADIOISOTOPES
SEDIMENTS
SENSITIVITY
SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA
SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE
URANIUM
VALENCE