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Sulfur-reducing bacteria are microorganisms able to reduce elemental sulfur (S 0) to hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S). [1] These microbes use inorganic sulfur compounds as electron acceptors to sustain several activities such as respiration, conserving energy and growth, in absence of oxygen. [2]
Desulfovibrio vulgaris is the best-studied sulfate-reducing microorganism species; the bar in the upper right is 0.5 micrometre long.. Sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) or sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP) are a group composed of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and sulfate-reducing archaea (SRA), both of which can perform anaerobic respiration utilizing sulfate (SO 2−
The oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds is performed exclusively by Bacteria and Archaea.All the Archaea involved in this process are aerobic and belong to the Order Sulfolobales, [19] [20] characterized by acidophiles (extremophiles that require low pHs to grow) and thermophiles (extremophiles that require high temperatures to grow).
Sulfur reduction occurs in plants, fungi, and many bacteria. [10] Sulfate can serve as an electron acceptor in anaerobic respiration and can also be reduced for the formation of organic compounds. Sulfate-reducing bacteria reduce sulfate and other oxidized sulfur compounds, such as sulfite, thiosulfate, and elemental sulfur, to sulfide.
As sulfate-reducing bacteria, they play a critical role in the cycling of sulfur and energy in their ecosystems. Understanding their biology, ecology, and potential applications can provide insight into their importance in environmental processes and biotechnological innovations.
It is also an anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacterium that is an important organism involved in the bioremediation of heavy metals in the environment. [2] Nitratidesulfovibrio vulgaris is often used as a model organism for sulfur-reducing bacteria [3] and was the first of such bacteria to have its genome sequenced. [4]