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Humus-reducing microorganisms and their valuable contribution in environmental processes

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Abstract

Humus constitutes a very abundant class of organic compounds that are chemically heterogeneous and widely distributed in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Evidence accumulated during the last decades indicating that humic substances play relevant roles on the transport, fate, and redox conversion of organic and inorganic compounds both in chemically and microbially driven reactions. The present review underlines the contribution of humus-reducing microorganisms in relevant environmental processes such as biodegradation of recalcitrant pollutants and mitigation of greenhouse gases emission in anoxic ecosystems, redox conversion of industrial contaminants in anaerobic wastewater treatment systems, and on the microbial production of nanocatalysts and alternative energy sources.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the financial support provided by Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (grant SEP-CONACYT 155656).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. División de Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT), Camino a la Presa San José 2055, Col. Lomas 4a Sección, San Luis Potosí, SLP, 78216, Mexico

    Claudia M. Martinez & Francisco J. Cervantes

  2. Departamento de Biotecnología y Ciencias Alimentarias, Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora (ITSON), 5 de Febrero 818 Sur, Col. Centro, Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, C.P. 85000, Mexico

    Luis H. Alvarez

  3. División de Geociencias Aplicadas, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT), Camino a la Presa San José 2055, Col. Lomas 4a Sección, San Luis Potosí, SLP, 78216, Mexico

    Lourdes B. Celis

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  1. Claudia M. Martinez
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  2. Luis H. Alvarez
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Correspondence to Francisco J. Cervantes.

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Martinez, C.M., Alvarez, L.H., Celis, L.B. et al. Humus-reducing microorganisms and their valuable contribution in environmental processes. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 97, 10293–10308 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-013-5350-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-013-5350-7

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