Chlorobium ferrooxidans

Classification

Domain: Bacteria Phylum: Chlorobi Class: Chlorobia Order: Chlorobiales Family: Chlorobiaceae Genus: Chlorobium Species: ferrooxidans

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Species

NCBI: Taxonomy

Chlorobium ferrooxidans

Description and Significance

This green phototrophic bacterium is short, rod-shaped, approximately 0.5x1.0-1.5 μm in size, with rounded ends. The organism is nonmotile, gram negative, and nonsporeforming. Chlorobium ferrooxidans is strictly anaerobic. Originally isolated from shallow freshwater ditches, this bacterium has only been isolated as a coculture with a strain identified as a member of the ε-subclass of the proteobacteria closely related to "Geospirillum arsenophilum". When grown in coculture, "Chlorobium ferrooxidans" oxidizes ferrous iron to ferric iron with stoichiometric formation of cell mass from carbon dioxide. This bacterium is important due to the fact that it is a novel green phototroph, related to other species of Chlorobium yet unique in regards to the oxidation of ferrous iron to ferric iron. This process by bacteria is a relatively novel phenomenon that has only been observed with phototrophic purple sulfur or non-sulfur bacteria (Wkddel et al., 1993; Ehrenreich and Widdel, 1994; Heising and Scchink, 1998). This observation in green phototrophic bacteria may indicate phototrophic ferrous iron oxidation was a widespread metabolic capacity in an early phase of evolution (Heising et al. 1999).

Genome Structure

Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?

Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle

Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.

Ecology and Pathogenesis

Habitat; symbiosis; biogeochemical significance; contributions to environment.
If relevant, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.

References

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.

Author

Page authored by _____, student of Prof. Jay Lennon at Michigan State University.