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Molecular underpinnings for microbial extracellular electron transfer during biogeochemical cycling of earth elements

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Abstract

Microbial extracellular electron transfer (EET) is electron exchanges between the quinol/quinone pools in microbial cytoplasmic membrane and extracellular substrates. Microorganisms with EET capabilities are widespread in Earth hydrosphere, such as sediments of rivers, lakes and oceans, where they play crucial roles in biogeochemical cycling of key elements, including carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, iron and manganese. Over the past 12 years, significant progress has been made in mechanistic understanding of microbial EET at the molecular level. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying the microbial ability for extracellular redox transformation of iron, direct interspecies electron transfer as well as long distance electron transfer mediated by the cable bacteria in the hydrosphere.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC91851211; 41772363), One Hundred Talents Program of Hubei Province and China University of Geosciences-Wuhan.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Yongguang Jiang, Meimei Shi & Liang Shi

  2. State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Liang Shi

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  2. Meimei Shi
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  3. Liang Shi
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Correspondence to Liang Shi.

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Jiang, Y., Shi, M. & Shi, L. Molecular underpinnings for microbial extracellular electron transfer during biogeochemical cycling of earth elements. Sci. China Life Sci. 62, 1275–1286 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-018-9464-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-018-9464-3

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