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Encyclopedia of Metagenomics pp 1–3Cite as

Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in the Human Gut Microbiome

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Synonyms

Dissimilatory sulfate reducers; Sulfate reducers

Definition

Sulfate-reducing microbes are anaerobic microorganisms that use dissimilatory sulfate reduction, e.g., a sulfate terminal electron acceptor coupled with the oxidation of organic or inorganic compounds, for the generation of energy. There are over 60 genera and 220 described species of sulfate-reducing microbes with diverse morphologies. Dissimilatory sulfate reduction is utilized by bacteria and a few archaea, but in the human gut, only sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) have been detected and isolated, and they are only present in the colon. SRB mostly rely on H2 oxidation, but other organic compounds and fermentation can be alternatively used by intestinal isolates.

Introduction

SRB are a diverse group sharing the ability to use sulfate as a terminal electron acceptor for respiration, with the concomitant production of H2S. Colonic SRB generally use H2as their electron donor, but electrons can also be provided from...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA

    Franck Carbonero

  2. Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Cancer Center, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    H. Rex Gaskins

Authors
  1. Franck Carbonero
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  2. H. Rex Gaskins
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Franck Carbonero .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), Rockville, Maryland, USA

    Karen E. Nelson

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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Carbonero, F., Gaskins, H.R. (2013). Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in the Human Gut Microbiome. In: Nelson, K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Metagenomics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6418-1_756-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6418-1_756-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6418-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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