Abstract
How the redox proteins and enzymes involved in bioenergetic pathways are organized is a relevant fundamental question, but our understanding of this is still incomplete. This review provides a critical examination of the electrochemical tools developed in recent years to obtain knowledge of the intramolecular and intermolecular electron transfer processes involved in metabolic pathways. Furthermore, better understanding of the electron transfer processes associated with energy metabolism will provide the basis for the rational design of biotechnological devices such as electrochemical biosensors, enzymatic and microbial fuel cells, and hydrogen production factories. Starting from the redox complexes involved in two relevant bacterial chains, i.e., from the hyperthermophile Aquifex aeolicus and the acidophile Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, examination of protein–protein interactions using electrochemistry is first reviewed, with a focus on the orientation of a protein on an electrochemical interface mimic of a physiological interaction between two partners. Special attention is paid to current research in the electrochemistry of essential membrane proteins, which is one mandatory step toward the understanding of energy metabolic pathways. The complex and challenging architectures built to reconstitute a membrane-like environment at an electrode are especially considered. The role played by electrochemistry in the attempt to consider full bacterial metabolism is finally emphasized through the study of whole cells immobilized at electrodes as suspensions or biofilms. Before the performances of biotechnological devices can be further improved to make them really attractive, questions remain to be addressed in this particular field of research. We discuss the bottlenecks that need to be overcome in the future.
Access this article
We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.
Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.








Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- CcO:
-
Cytochrome c oxidase
- DET:
-
Direct electron transfer
- DvH:
-
Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough
- PMIRRAS:
-
Polarization-modulation infrared reflection–adsorption spectroscopy
- QCM:
-
Quartz crystal microbalance
- SAM:
-
Self-assembled monolayer
- SEIRA:
-
Surface-enhanced infrared absorption
- SHE:
-
Standard hydrogen electrode
- t-BLM:
-
Tethered bilayer lipid membrane
References
Leech D, Kavanagh P, Schuhmann W (2012) Electrochim Acta 84:223–234
Lovley D (2011) Energy Environ Sci 4:4896–4906
Moehlenbrock M, Toby T, Pelster L, Minteer S (2011) ChemCatChem 3:561–570
Borgmann S, Schulte A, Neugebaue S, Schuhmann W (2011) In: Alkire RC, Kolb DM, Lipkowski J (eds) Advances in electrochemical science and engineering: bioelectrochemistry, vol 13. Weinheim, Wiley-VCH
Wang J (2006) Biosens Bioelectron 21:1887–1892
Zayats M, Willner B, Willner I (2008) Electroanalysis 20:583–601
Amine A, Mohammadi H, Bourais I, Pallesschi G (2006) Biosens Bioelectron 21:1405–1423
Willner I, Katz E (2000) Angew Chem Int Ed 39:1180–1218
de Poulpiquet A, Ciaccafava A, Lojou E (2013) Electrochim Acta. doi:10.1016/j.electacta.2013.07.133
Zhou Z, Hartmann M (2013) Chem Soc Rev 42:3894–3912
Katz E, Minko S, Halamek J, MacVittie K, Yancey K (2013) Anal Bioanal Chem 405:3659–3672
Putzbach W, Ronkainen N (2013) Sensors 13:4811–4840
Prakash S, Chakrabarty T, Singh A, Shahi V (2013) Biosens Bioelectron 41:43–53
Willey JM, Sherwood LM, Woolverton CJ (2008) Prescott, Harley and Klein's microbiology, 7th edn. McGraw Hill, New York
Richardson DJ, Butt JN, Fredrickson JK, Zachara JM, Shi L, Edwards MJ, White G, Baiden N, Gates AJ, Marritt SJ, Clarke TA (2012) Mol Microbiol 85:201–212
Richter O, Ludwig B (2009) Biochim Biophys Acta 1787:626–634
Lenaz G, Genova ML (2012) Adv Exp Med Biol 748:107–144
Vonck J, Schäfer E (2009) Biochim Biophys Acta 1793:117–124
Boekema EJ, Braun HP (2007) J Biol Chem 282:1–4
Genova ML, Baracca A, Biondi A, Casalena G, Faccioli M, Falasca AI, Formiggini G, Sgarbi G, Solaini G, Lenaz G (2008) Biochim Biophys Acta 1777:740–746
Genova ML, Lenaz G (2013) Biol Chem. doi:10.1515/hsz-2012-0317
Prunetti L, Infossi P, Brugna M, Ebel C, Giudici-Orticoni MT, Guiral M (2010) J Biol Chem 285:41815–41826
Magalon A, Arias-Cartin R, Walburger A (2012) Adv Microb Physiol 61:217–266
Arias-Cartin R, Grimaldi S, Pommier J, Lanciano P, Schaefer C, Arnoux P, Giordano G, Guigliarelli B, Magalon A (2011) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 108:7781–7786
Bazán S, Mileykovskaya E, Mallampalli VK, Heacock P, Sparagna GC, Dowhan W (2013) J Biol Chem 288:401–411
Guiral M, Prunetti L, Lignon S, Lebrun R, Giudici-Orticoni MT (2009) J Proteome Res 8:1717–1730
Guiral M, Prunetti L, Aussignargues C, Ciaccafava A, Infossi P, Ilbert M, Lojou E, Giudici-Orticoni MT (2012) Adv Microb Physiol 61:125–194
Roger M, Castelle C, Guiral M, Infossi P, Lojou E, Giudici-Orticoni MT, Ilbert M (2012) Biochem Soc Trans 40:1324–1329
Brugna-Guiral M, Tron P, Nitschke W, Stetter K-O, Burlat B, Guigliarelli B, Bruschi M, Giudici-Orticoni MT (2003) Extremophiles 7:145–157
Prunetti L, Brugna M, Lebrun R, Giudici-Orticoni MT, Guiral M (2011) PLoS One 6(6):e21616
Guiral M, Tron P, Aubert C, Gloter A, Iobbi-Nivol C, Giudici-Orticoni MT (2005) J Biol Chem 280:42004–42015
Ilert M, Bonnefoy V (2013) Biochim Biophys Acta 1827:161–175
Castelle C, Guiral M, Malarte G, Ledgham F, Leroy G, Brugna M, Giudici-Orticoni MT (2008) J Biol Chem 283:25803–25811
Malarte G, Leroy G, Lojou E, Abergel C, Bruschi M, Giudici-Orticoni MT (2005) Biochemistry 44:6471–6481
Castelle C, Ilbert M, Infossi P, Leroy G, Giudici-Orticoni MT (2010) J Biol Chem 285:21519–21525
Frew JE, Hill H (1988) Eur J Biochem 172:261–269
Armstrong FA, Hill HAO, Walton NJ (1988) Acc Chem Res 21:407–413
Page C, Moser C, Chen X, Dutton P (1999) Nature 402:47–52
Witt H, Malatesta F, Nicoletti F, Brunori M, Ludwig B (1998) Eur J Biochem 251:367–373
Jin B, Wang GX, Millo D, Hildebrandt P, Xia XH (2012) J Phys Chem C 116:13038–13044
Lojou E, Luciano P, Nitsche S, Bianco P (1999) Electrochim Acta 44:3341–3352
Lojou E, Bianco P (2000) J Electroanal Chem 485:71–80
Pardo-Yissar V, Katz E, Willner I, Kotlyar A, Sanders C, Lill H (2000) Faraday Discuss 116:119–134
Wegerig F, Giachetti A, Allegrozzi M, Lisdat F, Turano P (2013) J Biol Inorg Chem 18:429–440
Chen Y, Yang XJ, Guo LR, Jin B, Xia XH, Zheng LM (2009) Talanta 78:248–252
Wang G, Bao W, Wang M, Xia H (2012) Chem Commun 48:10859–10861
Correira dos Santos M, Paes de Sousa P, Simoes Goncalves M, Krippahl L, Moura J, Lojou E, Bianco P (2003) J Electroanal Chem 541:153–162
Abergel C, Nitschke W, Malarte G, Bruschi M, Claverie JM, Giudici-Orticoni MT (2003) Structure 11:547–555
Chi Q, Zhang J, Arslan T, Borg L, Pedersen G, Christensen H, Nazmudtinov R, Ulsrup J (2010) J Phys Chem B 114:5617–5624
Zhang J, Chi Q, Hansen Q, Jensen P, Salvatore P, Ulstrup J (2012) FEBS Lett 586:526–535
Raffalt A, Schmidt L, Christensen H, Chi Q, Ulsrup J (2009) J Inorg Biochem 103:717–722
Monari S, Battistuzzi G, Borsari M, Di Rocco G, Martini L, Ranieri A, Sola M (2009) J Phys Chem 113:13645–13653
Ciaccafava A, Alberola M, Hameury S, Infossi P, Giudici-Orticoni MT, Lojou E (2011) Electrochim Acta 56:3359–3368
Cracknell J, McNamara T, Lowe E, Blanford C (2011) Dalton Trans 40:6668–6675
Blanford C, Heath R, Armstrong F (2007) Chem Commun 17:1710–1712
Olejnik P, Palys B, Kowalczyk A, Nowicka A (2012) J Phys Chem C 116:25911–25918
Vignais P, Billoud B (2007) Chem Rev 107:4206–4272
Rüdiger O, Gutierrez-Sanchez C, Olea D, Pereira I, Velez M, Fernandez V, de Lacey A (2010) Electroanalysis 22:776–783
Lojou E (2011) Electrochim Acta 56:10385–10397
Lojou E, Luo X, Brugna M, Candoni N, Dementin S, Giudici-Orticoni MT (2008) J Biol. Inorg Chem 13:1157–1167
Millo D, Pandelia ME, Utesch T, Wisitruangsakul N, Mroginski MA, Lubitz W, Hildebrandt P, Zebger I (2009) J Phys Chem 113:15344–15351
Utesch T, Millo D, Castro A, Hildebrandt P, Zebger I, Mroginski M (2013) Langmuir 29:673–682
Luo XJ, Brugna M, Infossi P, Giudici-Orticoni MT, Lojou E (2009) J Biol Inorg Chem 14:1275–1288
Ciaccafava A, Infossi P, Ilbert M, Guiral M, Lecomte S, Giudici-Orticoni MT, Lojou E (2012) Angew Chem Int Ed 51:953–956
Ciaccafava A, De Poulpiquet A, Infossi P, Robert S, Gadiou R, Giudici-Orticoni MT, Lecomte S, Lojou E (2012) Electrochim Acta 82:115–125
Katz E (1994) J Electroanal Chem 365:157–164
Umena Y, Kawakami K, Shen JR, Kamiya N (2011) Nature 473:55–60
Kato M, Cardona T, Rutherford W, Reisner E (2013) J Am Chem Soc 135:10610–10613
Madden C, Vaughn M, Diez-Perez I, Brown K, King P, Gust D, Moore A, Moore T (2012) J Am Chem Soc 134:1577–1582
Bianco P, Haladjian J, Bruschi M, Guerlesquin F (1992) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 189:633–639
Lojou E, Bianco P (2004) Electroanalysis 16:1093–1100
Pieulle L, Morelli X, Gallice P, Lojou E, Barbier P, Czjzek M, Bianco P, Guerlesquin F, Hatchikian C (2005) J Mol Biol 354:73–90
Lojou E, Cutruzzola F, Tegoni M, Bianco P (2003) Electrochim Acta 48:1055–1064
Paes de Sousa P, Pauleta S, Simoes Goncalves M, Pettigrew G, Correia dos Santos M, Moura J (2007) J Biol Inorg Chem 12:691–698
Paes de Sousa P, Rodrigues D, Timóteo C, Simões Gonçalves M, Pettigrew G, Moura I, Moura J, Correia dos Santos M (2011) J Biol Inorg Chem 16:881–888
Fujita K, Hirasawa-Fujita M, Brown D, Obara Y, Ijima F, Kohzuma T, Dooley D (2012) J Inorg Biochem 115:163–173
Ferapontova H, Ruzgas T, Gorton L (2003) Anal Chem 75:4841–4850
Sarauli D, Ludwig R, Haltrich D, Gorton L, Lisdat F (2012) Bioelectrochemistry 87:9–14
Bagby S, Barker P, Guo L, Hill H (1990) Bioelectrochemistry 29:3213–3219
Burrows A, Guo L, Hill H, McLendon G, Sherman F (1991) Eur J Biochem 202:543–549
Lojou E, Pieulle L, Guerlesquin F, Bianco P (2002) J Electroanal Chem 523:150–159
Cambillaud C, Frey M, Mossé J, Guerlesquin F, Bruschi M (1988) Proteins Struct Funct Genet 4:63–70
Lojou E, Bianco P (2004) J Electroanal Chem 573:159–167
Seetharaman R, White S, Rivera M (1996) Biochemistry 35:12455
Heering H, Wiertz F, Dekker C, de Vries S (2004) J Am Chem Soc 136:11103–11112
Grumelli D, Mendez de Leo L, Bonazzola C, Zamlynny V, Calvo E, Salvarezza R (2010) Langmuir 26:8226–8232
Sezer M, Frielingsdorf S, Millo D, Heidary N, Utesch T, Mroginski MA, Friedrich B, Hildebrandt P, Zebger I, Weidinger IM (2011) J Phys Chem B 115:10368–10374
Jensen P, Chi Q, Zhang J, Ulstrup J (2009) J Phys Chem C 113:13393–14000
Koepke J, Olkhova E, Angerer H, Müller H, Peng G, Michel H (2009) Biochim Biophys Acta 1787:635–645
Iwata S, Ostermeier C, Ludwig B, Michel H (1995) Nature 376:660–669
Qin L, Hiser C, Mulichak A, Garavito RM, Ferguson-Miller S (2006) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103:16117–16122
Haas A, Pilloud D, Reddy K, Babcock G, Moser C, Blasie J, Dutton P (2001) J Phys Chem B 105:11351–11362
Devadoss A, Burgess J (2002) Langmuir 18:9617–9621
Su L, Kelly J, Hawkridge F, Rhoten M, Baskin S (2005) J Electroanal Chem 581:241–248
Knoll W, Morigaki K, Naumann R, Sacca B, Schiller S, Sinner E (2004) In: Mirsky VM (ed) Ultrathin electrochemical chemo- and biosensors, technology and performance. Springer, Berlin, pp 239–254
Naumann R, Schmidt E, Jonczyk A, Fendler K, Kadenbach B, Liebermann T, Offenhäusser A, Knoll W (1999) Biosens Bioelectron 14:651–662
Rossi C, Chopineau J (2007) Eur Biophys J 36:955–965
Leitch J, Kunze J, Goddard J, Qchwan A, Faragher R, Naumann R, Knoll W, Dutcher J, Lipkowski J (2009) J Am Chem Soc 25:10354–10363
Friedrich M, Plum M, Santonicola M, Kirste V, Knoll W, Ludwig B, Naumann R (2008) Biophys J 95:1500–1510
Ataka K, Richter B, Heberle J (2006) J Phys Chem B 110:9339–9347
Schach D, Nawak C, Gennis R, Ferguson-Miller S, Knoll W, Walz D, Naumann R (2010) J Electroanal Chem 649:268–276
Nowak C, Schach D, Gebert J, Grosserueschkamp M, Gennis R, Ferguson-Miller S, Knoll W, Walz D, Naumann R (2011) J Solid State Electrochem 15:105–114
Infossi P, Lojou E, Chauvin JP, Herbette G, Brugna M, Giudici-Orticoni MT (2010) Int J Hydrog Energy 35:10778–10789
Jeuken L, Connell S, Nurnabi M, O’Reilly J, Henderson P, Evans S, Bushby R (2005) Langmuir 21:1481–1488
Weiss S, Bushby R, Evans S, Jeuken L (2010) Biochim Biophys Acta 1797:1917–1923
McMillan D, Marritt S, Firer-Sherwood M, Shi L, Richardson D, Evans S, Elliot S, Butt J, Jeuken L (2013) 135:10550–10556
Yuan Y, Zhou S, Zhang J, Zhuang L, Yang G, Kim S (2012) Electrochem Commun 18:62–65
Kundu A, Sau J, Redzwan G, Hashim M (2013) Int J Hydrog Energy 38:1745–1757
Gnana kumar G, Sarathi V, Nahm K (2013) Biosens Bioelectron 43:461–475
Abo-Hashesh M, Wang R, Hallenbeck P (2011) Bioresour Technol 102:8414–8422
Eriksen S, Riis M, Holm N, Iversen N (2011) Biotechnol Lett 33:293–300
Quéméneur M, Hamelin J, Benomar S, Giudici-Orticoni MT, Latrille E, Steyer JP, Trably E (2011) Int J Hydrog Energy 36:11654–11665
Willquist K, van Niel E (2010) Metab Eng 12:282–290
Kostesha N, Willquist K, Emneus J, van Niel E (2011) Extremophiles 15:77–87
Ikeda T, Kano K (2001) J Biosci Bioeng 92:9–18
Lojou E, Bianco P (2004) Electroanalysis 16:1113–1121
Lojou E, Durand M, Dolla A, Bianco P (2002) Electroanalysis 14:913–922
Pohorelic B, Voordouw J, Lojou E, Dolla A, Harder J, Voordouw G (2002) J Bacteriol 184:679–686
Gregory K, Bond D, Lovley D (2004) Environ Microbiol 6:596–604
Malvankar N, Vargas M, Nevin K, Franks A, Leang C, Kim B, Inoue K, Mester T, Covalla S, Johnson J, Rotelllo V, Tuominen M, Lovley D (2011) Nat Nanotechnol 6:573–579
Snider R, Strycharz-Glaven S, Tsoi S, Erickson J, Tender L (2012) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 109:15467–15472
Jiang X, Hu J, Fitzgerald L, Biffinger J, Xie P, Ringeisen B, Lieber C (2010) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107:16806–16810
Lovley D (2012) Biochem Soc Trans 40:1186–1190
Rabaey K, Rodriguez J, Blachkall L, Keller J, Gross P, Batstone D, Verstraete W, Nealson K (2007) ISME J 1:9–18
Smith J, Lovley D, Tremblay P (2013) Appl Environ Microbiol 79:901–907
Rosenbaum M, Aulenta F, Villano M, Angenent L (2011) Bioresour Technol 102:324–333
Rozendal R, Jeremiasse A, Hamelers H, Buisman C (2008) Environ Sci Technol 42:629–634
Aulenta F, Catapano L, Snip L, Villano M, Majone M (2012) ChemSusChem 5:1080–1085
Yu L, Duan J, Zhao W, Huang Y, Hou B (2011) Electrochim Acta 56:9041–9047
Armstrong F, Belsey N, Cracknell J, Goldet G, Parkin A, Reisner E, Vincent K, Wait A (2009) Chem Soc Rev 38:36–51
Lojou E, Bianco P (2006) Biogeosciences 69:237–247
Carbajosa S, Malki M, Caillard R, Lopez R, Palomares F, Martin-Gago J, Rodriguez N, Amils R, Fernandez V, De Lacey A (2010) Biosens Bioelectron 26:877–880
Erable B, Etcheverry L, Bergel A (2009) Electrochem Commun 11:619–622
Wei V, Elektorowicz M, Oleszkiewicz J (2011) Water Res 45:5058–5062
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, CNRS, and ANR Bioénergie no. ANR-2010-BIOE-003-01 for financial support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Published in the special issue Analytical Science in France with guest editors Christian Rolando and Philippe Garrigues.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Roger, M., de Poulpiquet, A., Ciaccafava, A. et al. Reconstitution of supramolecular organization involved in energy metabolism at electrochemical interfaces for biosensing and bioenergy production. Anal Bioanal Chem 406, 1011–1027 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-013-7465-1
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-013-7465-1