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Five strains of obligate anaerobic sulfur-reducing eubacteria that exclusively use acetate as energy and carbon source have been enriched and isolated from anoxic sulfide-containing freshwater mud. The strains were unable to grow in the presence of 2% NaCl. Morphologically the strains were not uniform, cells were either rod-shaped or elongated ovoid. All strains were flagellated with a single polar to subpolar flagellum. They stained gram-negative. Two of the strains were studied in detail. Malate or fumarate was used alternatively to elemental sulfur as electron acceptor. The capacity to grow on acetate as sole organic substrate and to reduce elemental sulfur or polysulfide to sulfide are traits in common with the genus Desulfuromonas. The strains differ from Desulfuromonas acetoxidans by their freshwater origin, morphology, metabolic specialization and their DNA base ratio. Therefore we consider the new isolates as a new species for which the name Desulfuromonas acetexigens is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gliding motility, ultrastructure and nutrition of two newly isolated filamentous sulfate-reducing bacteria, strains 5ac10 and 4be13, were investigated. The filaments were always attached to surfaces. Growth was supported by addition of insoluble aluminium phosphate or agar as substrata for gliding movement. Electron microscopy of ultrathin sections revealed cell walls characteristic of Gramnegative bacteria; the undulated structure of the outer membrane may pertain to the translocation mechanism. Intracytoplasmic membranes were present. Acetate, higher fatty acids, succinate or fumarate served as electron donors and carbon sources. Strain 5ac10 grew also with lactate, but not with benzoate that was used only by strain 4be13. Strain 5ac10 was able to grow slowly on H plus CO or formate in the presence of sulfate without additional organic carbon source. The capacity of complete oxidation was shown by stoichiometric measurements with acetate plus sulfate. Both strains contained b- and c-type cytochromes. Desulfoviridin was detected only in strain 5ac10. The two filamentous gliding sulfate reducers are described as new species of a new genus, Desulfonema limicola and Desulfonema magnum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three strains (2ac9, 3ac10 and 4ac11) of oval to rodshaped, Gram negative, nonsporing sulfate-reducing bacteria were isolated from brackish water and marine mud samples with acetate as sole electron donor. All three strains grew in simple defined media supplemented with biotin and 4-aminobenzoic acid as growth factors. Acetate was the only electron donor utilized by strain 2ac9, while the other two strains used in addition ethanol and/or lactate. Sulfate served as electron acceptor and was reduced to HS. Complete oxidation of acetate to CO was shown by stoichiometric measurements with strain 2ac9 in batch cultures using sulfate, sulfite or thiosulfate as electron acceptors. With sulfate an average growth yield of 4.8 g cell dry weight was obtained per mol of acetate oxidized; with sulfite or thiosulfate the growth yield on acetate was about twice as high. None of the strains contained desulfoviridin. In strain 2ac9 cytochromes of the b- and c-type were detected. Strain 2ac9 is described as type strain of the new species and genus, Desulfobacter postgatei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new strictly anaerobic, polarly flagellated, sporing, acetate-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing bacterium was isolated from anaerobic fresh or sea water mud samples. The oxidation of acetate to CO is stoichiometrically linked to the formation of HS from sulfate. Ethanol, butanol and butyrate are also used. Hydrogen, lactate or pyruvate are not used as electron donors; organic substances are not fermented. A cytochrome of the b-type and a supposed sulfite reductase, P582, were detected spectrophotometrically. An emended description of the genus Desulfotomaculum is proposed which includes the new bacterium as the species Desulfotomaculum acetoxidans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic sea or fresh water media with acetate and elemental sulfur yielded enrichments of a new type of strictly anaerobic, rod-shaped, laterally flagellated, Gram-negative bacterium. Three pure culture-strains from different sulfide-containing sea water sources were characterized in detail and are described as a new genus and species Desulfuromonas acetoxidans. The new bacterium is unable to ferment organic substances; it obtains energy for growth by anaerobic sulfur respiration. Acetate, ethanol or propanol can serve as carbon and energy source for growth; their oxidation to CO is stoichiometrically linked to the reduction of elemental sulfur to sulfide. Organic disulfide compounds, malate or fumarate are the only other electron acceptors used. Butanol and pyruvate are used in the presence of malate only; no other organic compounds are utilized. Biotin is required as a growth factor. The following dry weight yields per mole of substrate are obtained: in the presence of sulfur: 4.21 g on acetate, 9.77 g on ethanol; in the presence of malate: 16.5 g on acetate, 34.2 g on ethanol and 46.2 g on pyruvate. Accumulations of cells are pink; cell suspensions exhibit absorption spectra resembling those of c-type cytochromes (abs. max. at 419, 523 and 553 nm). Malate-ethanol grown cells contain a b-type cytochrome in addition. In the presence of acetate, ethanol or propanol, Desulfuromonas strains form robust growing syntrophic mixed cultures with phototrophic green sulfur bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetate-oxidizing sulfate-reducing bacteria of the Desulfotomaculum acetoxidans type have been enriched from animal manure, rumen content and dung contaminated freshwater habitats, indicating that they are primarily intestinal bacteria. Sporulation was observed only when acetate was the organic substrate; with butyrate, which allowed faster growth than acetate, spore formation never occurred. The cone-shaped highly refractile areas adjacent to the spores in spore-forming mother cells were shown to be gas vacuoles. Biotin was the only growth factor required by Desulfotomaculum acetoxidans strain 5575 in minimal media with sulfate and acetate or other organic substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]