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The Prokaryotes pp 157–172Cite as

The Family Geobacteraceae

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Abstract

Geobacteraceae, a family within the order Desulfuromonadales, is in this chapter described as consisting of the genus Geobacter and the sole species Pelobacter propionicus. The genus Geobacter comprises anaerobic, non-fermenting chemoorganotrophic mesophiles. Their hallmark feature is the ability to reduce insoluble Fe(III) and Mn(IV) for which they can employ several mechanisms, of which the most notably is extracellular electron transfer via electric conductive nanowires. Geobacter species are physiological versatile. They all oxidize acetate and mainly use small organic acids and alcohols. Several species also oxidize monoaromatic hydrocarbons, such as toluene and benzene. Next to Fe(III), a range of other electron acceptors can be used, and Geobacter species can transfer electron directly to other microbial species or graphite electrodes. Sulfur is often respired, and some species respire organohalides. P. propionicus is phylogenetically located within the Geobacter clade, but several of its physiological characteristics are distinct from Geobacter properties: it can ferment but does not utilize acetate as an electron donor nor oxidizes organic compounds completely. Furthermore, it does not contain the c-type cytochromes that are involved in electron transfer to Fe(III) in Geobacter species. Members of the genus Geobacter often dominate in iron-reducing settings, in particular in environments that have been subject to anthropogenic influences. They represent a rare case of environmental dominant species that are relatively easy to enrich and isolate. Genome-scale metabolic models have strongly contributed to understanding their physiology and ecology. The physiological characteristics of Geobacter species are employed in environmental biotechnology, such as the natural attenuation of organic matter, bioremediation of aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals and organohalides, and generating bioenergy in microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Molecular Cell Physiology, VU University Amsterdam, Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Wilfred F. M. Röling

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  1. Wilfred F. M. Röling
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Correspondence to Wilfred F. M. Röling .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Eugene Rosenberg

  2. Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Edward F. DeLong

  3. Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Edward F. DeLong

  4. Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Stephen Lory

  5. Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany

    Erko Stackebrandt

  6. Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Center for Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Fabiano Thompson

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Röling, W.F.M. (2014). The Family Geobacteraceae. In: Rosenberg, E., DeLong, E.F., Lory, S., Stackebrandt, E., Thompson, F. (eds) The Prokaryotes. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39044-9_381

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