Assessment of the stoichiometry and efficiency of CO2 fixation coupled to reduced sulfur oxidation.

ABSTRACT: Chemolithoautotrophic sulfur oxidizing bacteria (SOB) couple the oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds to the production of biomass. Their role in the cycling of carbon, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen is, however, difficult to quantify due to the complexity of sulfur oxidation pathways. We describe a generic theoretical framework for linking the stoichiometry and energy conservation efficiency of autotrophic sulfur oxidation while accounting for the partitioning of the reduced sulfur pool between the energy generating and energy conserving steps as well as between the main possible products (sulfate vs. zero-valent sulfur). Using this framework, we show that the energy conservation efficiency varies widely among SOB with no apparent relationship to their phylogeny. Aerobic SOB equipped with

SUBMITTER: Klatt JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4440400 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature