Dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria

Dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria (DMRB) are a class of bacteria that couple the oxidation of organic matter to the reduction of a metal species in the process of anaerobic respiration.[1] Species that typically use ferric iron as an electron acceptor are also known as dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria (DIRB).

Some species of DMRB produce compounds that act as electron shuttles, enabling them to perform metal reduction from a distance. In natural systems, secondary minerals may form as a byproduct of bacterial metal reduction.[2]

Known species of DMRB include:

References

  1. Lovley, D. R. (1991). Dissimilatory Fe (III) and Mn (IV) reduction. Microbiological reviews, 55(2), 259.
  2. Lovley, D. R., Stolz, J. F., Nord, G. L., & Phillips, E. J. (1987). Anaerobic production of magnetite by a dissimilatory iron-reducing microorganism. Nature, 330(6145), 252-254
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