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Carbon monoxide conversion by thermophilic sulfate-reducing bacteria in pure culture and in co-culture with Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans

  • Applied Microbial and Cell Physiology
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Abstract

Biological sulfate (SO4) reduction with carbon monoxide (CO) as electron donor was investigated. Four thermophilic SO4-reducing bacteria, Desulfotomaculum thermoacetoxidans (DSM 5813), Thermodesulfovibrio yellowstonii (ATCC 51303), Desulfotomaculum kuznetsovii (DSM 6115; VKM B-1805), and Desulfotomaculum thermobenzoicum subsp. thermosyntrophicum (DSM 14055), were studied in pure culture and in co-culture with the thermophilic carboxydotrophic bacterium Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans (DSM 6008). D. thermoacetoxidans and T. yellowstonii were extremely sensitive to CO: their growth on pyruvate was completely inhibited at CO concentrations above 2% in the gas phase. D. kuznetsovii and D. thermobenzoicum subsp. thermosyntrophicum were less sensitive to CO. In pure culture, D. kuznetsovii and D. thermobenzoicum subsp. thermosyntrophicum were able to grow on CO as the only electron donor and, in particular in the presence of hydrogen/carbon dioxide, at CO concentrations as high as 50–70%. The latter SO4 reducers coupled CO oxidation to SO4 reduction, but a large part of the CO was converted to acetate. In co-culture with C. hydrogenoformans, D. kuznetsovii and D. thermobenzoicum subsp. thermosyntrophicum could even grow with 100% CO (PCO=120 kPa).

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Acknowledgements

This research was financially supported by Shell Global Solutions, Paques Natural Solutions B.V., the Technology Foundation (STW) and the Earth and Life Sciences Foundation (ALW) of the Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research (NWO) (The Netherlands).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Microbiology of Anthropogenic Environments, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prosp. 60 let Oktyabrya, 7-2, 117811, Moscow, Russia

    S. N. Parshina

  2. Shell Global Solutions International, B.V. P.O. Box 38000, 1030, BN Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    S. Kijlstra

  3. Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Hesselink van Suchtelenweg 4, 6703 CT, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    A. M. Henstra, C. M. Plugge & A. J. M. Stams

  4. Sub-Department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, Bomenweg 2, P.O. Box 8129, 6700 EV, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    J. Sipma

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  1. S. N. Parshina
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  2. S. Kijlstra
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  3. A. M. Henstra
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  4. J. Sipma
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  5. C. M. Plugge
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  6. A. J. M. Stams
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Correspondence to S. N. Parshina.

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Parshina, S.N., Kijlstra, S., Henstra, A.M. et al. Carbon monoxide conversion by thermophilic sulfate-reducing bacteria in pure culture and in co-culture with Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 68, 390–396 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-004-1878-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-004-1878-x

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