Synonyms
Definition
A chemolithotroph is an organism that is able to use inorganic reduced compounds as a source of energy. This mode of metabolism is known as chemolithotrophy.
History
Chemolithotrophy was discovered by Winogradsky while studying the microorganisms involved in the oxidation of sulfur compounds.
Overview
Chemolithotrophy is found only in prokaryotes and is widely distributed among Bacteria and Archaea. The spectrum of inorganic compounds that can be used as electron donors by chemolithotrophs is rather broad (H2S, S0, S2O 2−3 , H2, Fe2+, NO2 −or NH3). Some microorganisms are rather specific regarding the inorganic substrates they can use to generate energy, while others are able to use different compounds (versatile). The best characterized chemolithotrophs are aerobic respirers, which use oxygen as the electron acceptor, although the list of chemolithotrophs capable of employing anaerobic respiration is increasing rapidly. Chemolithotrophs have electro...
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Ehrlich HL, Newman DK (2009) Geomicrobiology, 5th edn. CRC Press, New York
Fernandez-Remolar DC, Morris RV, Gruener JE, Amils R, Knoll AH (2005) The Rio Tinto basin, Spain: mineralogy, sedimentary geobiology, and implications for interpretation of outcrop rocks at Meridiani Planum, Mars. Earth Planet Sci Lett 240(1):149–167. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2005.09.043
González-Toril E, Gómez F, Malki M, Amils R (2006) Isolation and study of acidophilic microorganisms. In: Rainey F, Oren A (eds) Methods in microbiology, vol 35. Elsevier, Oxford, pp 463–502
Leininger S, Urich T, Schloter M, Schwark L, Qi J, Nicol GW, Prosser JI, Schuster SC, Schleper C (2006) Archaea predominate among ammonia-oxidizing prokaryotes in soils. Nature 442:806–809
Madigan MT, Martinko JM, Dunlap PV, Clark DP (2009) Brock biology of microorganisms, 12th edn. Benjamin Cummings
Strous M, Fuerst JA, Kramer EH et al (1999) Missing lithotroph identified as new planctomycete. Nature 400(6743):446–449. doi:10.1038/22749
Winogradsky S (1949) Microbiology du Sol. Masson, París
Yamanaka T (2008) Chemolithoautotrophic bacteria, Biochemistry and Environmental Biology, XIV. Springer, Japan
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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Amils, R. (2011). Chemolithotroph. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_273
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_273
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