Abstract
Acetate and acetyl-CoA play fundamental roles in all of biology, including anaerobic prokaryotes from the domains Bacteria and Archaea, which compose an estimated quarter of all living protoplasm in Earth’s biosphere. Anaerobes from the domain Archaea contribute to the global carbon cycle by metabolizing acetate as a growth substrate or product. They are components of anaerobic microbial food chains converting complex organic matter to methane, and many fix CO2 into cell material via synthesis of acetyl-CoA. They are found in a diversity of ecological habitats ranging from the digestive tracts of insects to deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and synthesize a plethora of novel enzymes with biotechnological potential. Ecological investigations suggest that still more acetate-metabolizing species with novel properties await discovery.
Highlights
Acetate and acetyl-CoA play a prominent role in the metabolism of all three phylogenetic domains of life, including anaerobic prokaryotes from the domains Bacteria and Archaea, which contribute to an estimated quarter of all living protoplasm in Earth’s biosphere [1]
This review encompasses the role of acetate, which has the greatest influence on the ecology of environments, in the energy conversion pathways of anaerobes from the domain Archaea; acetate and acetyl-CoA play a prominent role in the biosynthetic pathways of anaerobes from the domain Archaea [2]
In the glycolytic pathway exemplified by P. furiosus (Figure 2), ferredoxin reduced by GAPOR and POR is re-oxidized by a membrane-bound hydrogenase that generates an ion gradient driving ATP synthesis [4]
Summary
Acetate and acetyl-CoA play a prominent role in the metabolism of all three phylogenetic domains of life, including anaerobic prokaryotes from the domains Bacteria and Archaea, which contribute to an estimated quarter of all living protoplasm in Earth’s biosphere [1]. Anaerobes from the domain Archaea play significant roles in the global carbon cycle by metabolizing acetate as a growth substrate or product. In anaerobic environments where terminal electron acceptors (Fe(III), Mn(IV), SO42−, S0, NO3−) are absent, anaerobes from both prokaryotic domains convert complex organic matter to CH4 and CO2, providing an essential link in the global carbon cycle (Figure 1). In environments where O2 is abundant, microbes oxidize the biomass, producing CO2 that re-enters the carbon cycle (Step 2). The fermentative group converts the complex biomass primarily into, acetate along with lesser amounts of volatile fatty acids, H2, and CO2 (Steps 4 and 5). Archaea proliferate in environments where terminal electron acceptors are abundant and obtain energy through anaerobic respiration, converting acetate to CO2. This review encompasses the role of acetate, which has the greatest influence on the ecology of environments, in the energy conversion pathways of anaerobes from the domain Archaea; acetate and acetyl-CoA play a prominent role in the biosynthetic pathways of anaerobes from the domain Archaea [2]
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