Comparative metatranscriptomics reveals extracellular electron transfer pathways conferring microbial adaptivity to surface redox potential changes.

ABSTRACT: Some microbes can capture energy through redox reactions with electron flow to solid-phase electron acceptors, such as metal-oxides or poised electrodes, via extracellular electron transfer (EET). While diverse oxide minerals, exhibiting different surface redox potentials, are widely distributed on Earth, little is known about how microbes sense and use the minerals. Here we show electrochemical, metabolic, and transcriptional responses of EET-active microbial communities established on poised electrodes to changes in the surface redox potentials (as electron acceptors) and surrounding substrates (as electron donors). Combination of genome-centric stimulus-induced metatranscriptomics and metabolic pathway investigation revealed that nine Geobacter/Pelobacter microbes performed EET activity

SUBMITTER: Ishii S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6246609 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature