Isolation and Polyphasic Characterization of <i>Desulfuromonas versatilis</i> sp. Nov., an Electrogenic Bacteria Capable of Versatile Metabolism Isolated from a Graphene Oxide-Reducing Enrichment Culture

• Main Authors: Li Xie, Naoko Yoshida, Shun’ichi Ishii, Lingyu Meng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
• Series: Microorganisms
• Subjects: <i>Desulfuromonas</i>; electrogenic bacteria; nitrate respiration; graphene oxide
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/9/1953

In this study, a novel electrogenic bacterium denoted as strain NIT-T3 of the genus <i>Desulfuromonas</i> was isolated from a graphene-oxide-reducing enrichment culture that was originally obtained from a mixture of seawater and coastal sand. Strain NIT-T3 utilized hydrogen and various organic acids as electron donors and exhibited respiration using electrodes, ferric iron, nitrate, and elemental sulfur. The strain contained C16:1ω7c, C16:0, and C15:0 as major fatty acids and MK-8, 9, and 7 as the major respiratory quinones. Strain NIT-T3 contained four 16S rRNA genes and showed 95.7% similarity to <i>Desulfuromonas</i><i>michiganensis</i> BB1^T, the closest relative. The genome was 4.7 Mbp in size and encoded 76 putative <i>c</i>-type cytochromes, which included 6 unique <i>c</i>-type cytochromes (<40% identity) compared to those in the database. Based on the physiological and genetic uniqueness, and wide metabolic capability, strain NIT-T3 is proposed as a type strain of ‘<i>Desulfuromonas versatilis</i>’ sp. nov.