Organohalide respiration: microbes breathing chlorinated molecules

Bacterial respiration has taken advantage of almost every redox couple present in the environment. The reduction of organohalide compounds to release the reduced halide ion drives energy production in organohalide respiring bacteria. This process is centred around the reductive dehalogenases, an iron-sulfur and corrinoid containing family of enzymes. These enzymes, transcriptional regulators and the bacteria themselves have potential to contribute to future bioremediation solutions that address the pollution of the environment by halogenated organic compounds.