Electromicrobiology of Dissimilatory Sulfur Reducing Bacterium Desulfuromonas acetexigens

Abstract

Bioelectrochmical systems (BES) are engineered electrochemical devices that harness hidden chemical energy of the wastewater in to the form of electricity or hydrogen. Unique microbial communities enrich in these systems for oxidation of organic matter as well as transfer of resulted electron to anode, known them as “electricigens” communities. Exploring novel electricigenesis microbial communities in the nature and understanding their electromicrobiology is one the important aspect for BES systems scale up. Herein, we report first time the electricigenesis property of an anaerobic, fresh water sediment, sulfur reducing bacterium Desulfuromona acetexigens. The electrochemical behavior of D. acetexigens biofilms grown on graphite-rod electrodes in batch-fed mode under an applied potential was investigated with traditional electroanalytical tools, and correlate the electron transfer from biofilms to electrode with a model electricigen Geobacter sulfurreducens electrochemical behavior. Research findings suggest that D. acetexigens has the ability to use electrode as electron acceptor in BES systems through establishing the direct contact with anode by expressing the membrane bound redox proteins, but not due to the secretion of soluble redox mediators. Preliminary results revealed that D. acetexigens express three distinct redox proteins in their membranes for turnover of the electrons from biofilm to electrode, and the 4 whole electricigenesis process observed to be unique in the D. acetexigens compared to that of well-studied model organism G. sulfurreducens.