Syntrophic anaerobic photosynthesis via direct interspecies electron transfer
Abstract
Microbial phototrophs, key primary producers on Earth, use H2O, H2, H2S and other reduced inorganic compounds as electron donors. Here we describe a form of metabolism linking anoxygenic photosynthesis to anaerobic respiration that we call ‘syntrophic anaerobic photosynthesis’. We show that photoautotrophy in the green sulfur bacterium Prosthecochloris aestaurii can be driven by either electrons from a solid electrode or acetate oxidation via direct interspecies electron transfer from a heterotrophic partner bacterium, Geobacter sulfurreducens. Photosynthetic growth of P. aestuarii using reductant provided by either an electrode or syntrophy is robust and light-dependent. In contrast, P. aestuarii does not grow in co-culture with a G. sulfurreducens mutant lacking a trans-outer membrane porin-cytochrome protein complex required for direct intercellular electron transfer. Syntrophic anaerobic photosynthesis is therefore a carbon cycling process that could take place in anoxic environments. Lastly, this process could be exploited for biotechnological applications, such as waste treatment and bioenergy production, using engineered phototrophic microbial communities.
- Authors:
-
- Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States)
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- China Univ. of Geoscience, Hubei (China)
- Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale, IL (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1347843
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-119245
Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723; 48418; KP1601010
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 8; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory; bacterial physiology; environmental microbiology; symbiosis
Citation Formats
Ha, Phuc T., Lindemann, Stephen R., Shi, Liang, Dohnalkova, Alice C., Fredrickson, James K., Madigan, Michael T., and Beyenal, Haluk. Syntrophic anaerobic photosynthesis via direct interspecies electron transfer. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1038/ncomms13924.
Ha, Phuc T., Lindemann, Stephen R., Shi, Liang, Dohnalkova, Alice C., Fredrickson, James K., Madigan, Michael T., & Beyenal, Haluk. Syntrophic anaerobic photosynthesis via direct interspecies electron transfer. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13924
Ha, Phuc T., Lindemann, Stephen R., Shi, Liang, Dohnalkova, Alice C., Fredrickson, James K., Madigan, Michael T., and Beyenal, Haluk. Mon .
"Syntrophic anaerobic photosynthesis via direct interspecies electron transfer". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13924. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1347843.
@article{osti_1347843,
title = {Syntrophic anaerobic photosynthesis via direct interspecies electron transfer},
author = {Ha, Phuc T. and Lindemann, Stephen R. and Shi, Liang and Dohnalkova, Alice C. and Fredrickson, James K. and Madigan, Michael T. and Beyenal, Haluk},
abstractNote = {Microbial phototrophs, key primary producers on Earth, use H2O, H2, H2S and other reduced inorganic compounds as electron donors. Here we describe a form of metabolism linking anoxygenic photosynthesis to anaerobic respiration that we call ‘syntrophic anaerobic photosynthesis’. We show that photoautotrophy in the green sulfur bacterium Prosthecochloris aestaurii can be driven by either electrons from a solid electrode or acetate oxidation via direct interspecies electron transfer from a heterotrophic partner bacterium, Geobacter sulfurreducens. Photosynthetic growth of P. aestuarii using reductant provided by either an electrode or syntrophy is robust and light-dependent. In contrast, P. aestuarii does not grow in co-culture with a G. sulfurreducens mutant lacking a trans-outer membrane porin-cytochrome protein complex required for direct intercellular electron transfer. Syntrophic anaerobic photosynthesis is therefore a carbon cycling process that could take place in anoxic environments. Lastly, this process could be exploited for biotechnological applications, such as waste treatment and bioenergy production, using engineered phototrophic microbial communities.},
doi = {10.1038/ncomms13924},
journal = {Nature Communications},
number = ,
volume = 8,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 09 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Mon Jan 09 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}
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