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Sulfide-Dependent Anoxygenic Photosynthesis in Prokaryotes

Sulfide-Quinone Reductase (SQR), the Initial Step

  • Chapter
The Phototrophic Prokaryotes

Abstract

Anoxygenic photosynthesis with sulfide serving as the electron donor is a property unique to prokaryotes. Most photosynthetic bacteria can grow photoautotrophically using sulfide (as well as few other inorganic sulfur compounds) as electron donors for CO2 fixation (see ref. 1 for recent review). Cyanobacteria are exceptional in the world of phototrophic prokaryotes. With the closely related prochlorophytes, they are the only eubacteria that can perform plant-type oxygenic photosynthesis, using two photosystems in series and water as the electron donor. However, some species of cyanobacteria can facultatively shift to anoxygenic, sulfide-dependent photosynthesis in which only PS I is involved2-5. This unique capacity to shift between anoxygenic and oxygenic photosynthesis was discovered in various strains of cyanobacteria, evolutionarily distant from each other3. It was considered to represent a primitive relic of the evolution of photosynthesis6. Of these strains, the filamentous cyanobacterium Oscillatoria limnetica has been studied most extensively. O. limnetica shifts to anoxygenic photosynthesis 2—3 hours after incubation in the presence of sulfide and light, in an inducible process specific to sulfide7, 8. Depending on the growth conditions, the induced cells perform several sulfide-dependent reactions: CO2 fixation, 3, 7-9 H2 evolution10 or N2 fixation. 11

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Horticulture, The Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan, 50250, Israel

    Y. Shahak

  2. Lehrstuhl für Zellbiologie und Pflanzenphysiologie, Universität Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany

    M. Schütz, C. Griesbeck & G. Hauska

  3. Division of Microbial and Molecular Ecology, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel

    M. Bronstein & E. Padan

Authors
  1. Y. Shahak
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  2. M. Schütz
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  5. G. Hauska
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  6. E. Padan
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Günter A. Peschek , Wolfgang Löffelhardt  & Georg Schmetterer ,  & 

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Shahak, Y., Schütz, M., Bronstein, M., Griesbeck, C., Hauska, G., Padan, E. (1999). Sulfide-Dependent Anoxygenic Photosynthesis in Prokaryotes. In: Peschek, G.A., Löffelhardt, W., Schmetterer, G. (eds) The Phototrophic Prokaryotes. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4827-0_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4827-0_26

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7188-5

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