New insights into microbial oxidation of antimony and arsenic

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2007 Apr;73(7):2386-9. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02789-06. Epub 2007 Feb 16.

Abstract

Sb(III) oxidation was documented in an Agrobacterium tumefaciens isolate that can also oxidize As(III). Equivalent Sb(III) oxidation rates were observed in the parental wild-type organism and in two well-characterized mutants that cannot oxidize As(III) for fundamentally different reasons. Therefore, despite the literature suggesting that Sb(III) and As(III) may be biochemical analogs, Sb(III) oxidation is catalyzed by a pathway different than that used for As(III). Sb(III) and As(III) oxidation was also observed for an eukaryotic acidothermophilic alga belonging to the order Cyanidiales, implying that the ability to oxidize metalloids may be phylogenetically widespread.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Agrobacterium tumefaciens / metabolism*
  • Antimony / metabolism*
  • Arsenic / metabolism*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Rhodophyta / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antimony
  • Arsenic