Open AccessReduction of U(VI) and Toxic Metals by Desulfovibrio Cytochrome C3
Author(s) -
Judy D. Wall
Publication year - 2013
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/1073608
Subject(s) - desulfovibrio , desulfovibrio vulgaris , chemistry , uranium , cytochrome , biochemistry , cytochrome c , sulfate reducing bacteria , mutant , sulfate , biophysics , stereochemistry , biology , bacteria , gene , genetics , apoptosis , organic chemistry , enzyme , materials science , metallurgy
The central objective of our proposed research was twofold: 1) to investigate the structure-function relationship of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (now Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20) cytochrome c3 with uranium and 2) to elucidate the mechanism for uranium reduction in vitro and in vivo. Physiological analysis of a mutant of D. desulfuricans with a mutation of the gene encoding the type 1 tetraheme cytochrome c3 had demonstrated that uranium reduction was negatively impacted while sulfate reduction was not if lactate were the electron donor. This was thought to be due to the presence of a branched pathway of electron flow from lactate leading to sulfate reduction. Our experimental plan was to elucidate the structural and mechanistic details of uranium reduction involving cytochrome c3