Comment on "A bacterium that can grow by using arsenic instead of phosphorus"

Science. 2011 Jun 3;332(6034):1149; author reply 1149. doi: 10.1126/science.1201399. Epub 2011 May 27.

Abstract

Wolfe-Simon et al. (Research Articles, 3 June 2011, p. 1163; published online 2 December 2010) reported that bacterial strain GFAJ-1 can substitute arsenic for phosphorus in its biomolecules, including nucleic acids and proteins. Unfortunately, their study lacks crucial experimental evidence to support this claim and suffers from inadequate data and poor presentation and analysis.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Arsenates / metabolism
  • Arsenic / analysis*
  • Arsenic / metabolism*
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry*
  • Halomonadaceae / growth & development
  • Halomonadaceae / metabolism*
  • Phosphates / metabolism
  • Phosphorus / analysis*
  • Phosphorus / metabolism*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Secondary Ion

Substances

  • Arsenates
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Phosphates
  • Phosphorus
  • Arsenic
  • arsenic acid