Open AccessMicrobial interactions involving sulfur bacteria: implications for the ecology and evolution of bacterial communities
Author(s) -
Overmann Jörg,
Gemerden Hans
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
fems microbiology reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.91
H-Index - 212
eISSN - 1574-6976
pISSN - 0168-6445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2000.tb00560.x
Subject(s) - microbial ecology , biology , phototroph , ecology , ecosystem , bacteria , microorganism , sulfur , sulfur cycle , natural (archaeology) , microbial population biology , chemistry , paleontology , genetics , organic chemistry
A major goal of microbial ecology is the identification and characterization of those microorganisms which govern transformations in natural ecosystems. This review summarizes our present knowledge of microbial interactions in the natural sulfur cycle. Central to the discussion is the recent progress made in understanding the co‐occurrence in natural ecosystems of sulfur bacteria with contrasting nutritional requirements and of the spatially very close associations of bacteria, the so‐called phototrophic consortia (e.g. ‘ Chlorochromatium aggregatum ’ or ‘ Pelochromatium roseum ’). In a similar way, microbial interactions may also be significant during microbial transformations other than the sulfur cycle in natural ecosystems, and could also explain the low culturability of bacteria from natural samples.