GFAJ-1 Is an Arsenate-Resistant, Phosphate-Dependent Organism
@article{Erb2012GFAJ1IA, title={GFAJ-1 Is an Arsenate-Resistant, Phosphate-Dependent Organism}, author={Tobias J. Erb and Patrick Kiefer and Bodo Hattendorf and Detlef G{\"u}nther and Julia A. Vorholt}, journal={Science}, year={2012}, volume={337}, pages={467 - 470} }
Resisting Arsenic The discovery of a bacterium living in the extreme conditions of Mono Lake, California, created a major controversy because it was claimed to be able to grow solely on arsenic and could substitute arsenate for phosphate in its key macromolecules, including DNA. Working with the same Halomonas spp. bacterium, known as GFAJ-1, and ultrapure reagents, Erb et al. (p. 467) found that the bacterium needed a low level of phosphate (1.6 µM) to grow at all. Rather than significant…
98 Citations
Arsenic. Can this toxic metalloid sustain life?
- BiologyMetal ions in life sciences
- 2013
Evidence is examined that arsenic may be a beneficial nutrient at trace levels below the background to which living organisms are normally exposed and its Janus-faced ability to effectively treat APL is considered.
Signature Arsenic Detoxification Pathways in Halomonas sp. Strain GFAJ-1
- Biology, EngineeringmBio
- 2018
This study concludes that the survival of GFAJ-1 in high arsenic concentrations is attributable to the cooccurrence of these two unusual arsenic detoxification mechanisms, enabling tolerance to high levels of arsenate.
Growth of a Bacterium That Apparently Uses Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus Is a Consequence of Massive Ribosome Breakdown*♦
- BiologyThe Journal of Biological Chemistry
- 2012
It is found that arsenate induces massive ribosome degradation, which provides a source of phosphate, and this results provide a simple explanation for the reported growth of GFAJ-1 in arsenate without invoking replacement of phosphorus by arsenic in biological macromolecules.
Indispensable or toxic? The phosphate versus arsenate debate
- BiologyMicrobial biotechnology
- 2013
The findings showed that phosphate is absolutely necessary for the growth of GFAJ-1, suggesting that previous results were misleading due to the presence of impurities in the chemicals used.
Genomic Responses to Arsenic in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
- Biology, EngineeringPloS one
- 2014
The genome-wide responses to the presence of arsenate and arsenite in wild type and mutants in the arsenic resistance system are described and analysis of the arsR mutant strain revealed that ArsR seems to only control 5 genes in the genome.
Fate of arsenate following arsenite oxidation in Agrobacterium tumefaciens GW4.
- BiologyEnvironmental microbiology
- 2015
Thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis suggested the presence of arsenolipids in membranes, presumably as part of the bilayer structure of the cell membrane and replacing Pi under Pi-limiting conditions.
The Arx Anaerobic Arsenite-Oxidization Pathway Is Conserved In Halomonas And Ectothiorhodospira Strains Isolated From Big Soda Lake, Nevada
- Biology
- 2014
This work demonstrates that arxA sequences and photoarsenotrophs can also be found in Big Soda Lake, NV, and presents two novel arXA-containing, arsenite-oxidizing strains: the chemoautotroph Halomonas sp.
Isolation of native arsenic bacteria from gold mine and evaluation of their tolerance
- Engineering
- 2013
Although the arsenic element is toxic for the life, various types of microorganisms are able to gain energy for growth from this toxic element. The aim of the present study was to isolate native…
A symbiotic bacterium differentially influences arsenate absorption and transformation in Dunaliella salina under different phosphate regimes.
- BiologyJournal of hazardous materials
- 2016
The microbial genomics of arsenic.
- BiologyFEMS microbiology reviews
- 2016
The increasing number of genomes available and the development of descriptive and comparative approaches have made it possible not only to identify several genetic determinants of the arsenic metabolism, but also to elucidate their phylogenetic distribution and their modes of regulation.
References
SHOWING 1-10 OF 15 REFERENCES
A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus
- BiologyScience
- 2011
A bacterium is described, isolated from Mono Lake, California, that is able to substitute arsenic for phosphorus to sustain its growth and exchange of one of the major bio-elements may have profound evolutionary and geochemical importance.
Testing the limits of biological tolerance to arsenic in a fungus isolated from the River Tinto.
- Biology, EngineeringEnvironmental microbiology
- 2003
The isolation of a filamentous fungus able to grow at 200 mM arsenic and displaying a polyresistant phenotype to copper and chromium, suggesting that this organelle is someway connected to arsenic tolerance.
Effect of arsenate on inorganic phosphate transport in Escherichia coli
- BiologyJournal of bacteriology
- 1980
The effect of arsenate on strains dependent on the two major inorganic phosphate (Pi) transport systems in Escherichia coli was examined in cells grown in 1 mM phosphate medium, and the Pi transport-dependent strain ceased growth in arsenate-containing media.
Comment on “A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus”
- EngineeringScience
- 2011
Although their data show that GFAJ-1 is an extraordinary extremophile, consideration of arsenate redox chemistry undermines the suggestion that arsenate can replace the physiologic functions of phosphate.
Comment on “A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus”
- BiologyScience
- 2011
The presence of contaminating phosphate in the growth medium, as well as the omission of important DNA purification steps, cast doubt on the authors’ conclusion that arsenic can substitute for phosphorus in the nucleic acids of this organism.
Comment on “A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus”
- BiologyScience
- 2011
It is reported that the bacterial strain GFAJ-1 can grow by using arsenic (As) instead of phosphorus (P), noting that the P content in bacteria grown in +As/–P culture medium was far below the quantity needed to support growth.
Comment on “A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus”
- EngineeringScience
- 2011
An apparent stimulatory effect of arsenic on the growth of bacteria isolated from Mono Lake, California, was interpreted as evidence that the cells can grow by using arsenic instead of phosphorus, and may have stimulated the bacterium’s high-affinity phosphorus assimilation pathway, which is active when phosphate levels are low.
Characterization of two genetically separable inorganic phosphate transport systems in Escherichia coli
- BiologyJournal of bacteriology
- 1980
Evidence is presented that Pi is transported as Pi or a very labile intermediate and that accumulated Pi does not exit through the Pst or Pit systems from glucose-grown cells.
Comment on “A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus”
- BiologyScience
- 2011
This study lacks crucial experimental evidence to support its claim that bacterial strain GFAJ-1 can substitute arsenic for phosphorus in its biomolecules, including nucleic acids and proteins.
Sugar-arsenate esters: thermodynamics and biochemical behavior.
- Biology, ChemistryArchives of biochemistry and biophysics
- 1980