Chlorobium ferrooxidans
Classification
Domain:Bacteria, Phylum:Chlorobi, Class:Chlorobia, Order:Chlorobiales, Family:Chlorobiaceae, Genus:Chlorobium, Species:ferrooxidans NCBI link to find]
Species
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NCBI: Taxonomy |
Chlorobium ferrooxidans
Description and Significance
This green phototrophic bacterium is short, rod-shaped, approximately 0.5x1.0-1.5 um 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 E-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 chlorobium that oxidizes 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
Author
Page authored by _____, student of Prof. Jay Lennon at Michigan State University.
