title: Growth of sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogenic archaea with methylated sulfur compounds: a commentary on the thermodynamic aspects.
abstract: Methylated sulfur compounds such as dimethylsulfoniopropionate, dimethylsulfide, methanethiol, and other methylated sulfur compounds can act as sources of carbon and energy for the growth under anoxic conditions of a number of sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogenic archaea. We summarise the range of degradative reactions that do or might occur in such organisms, and present thermodynamic data for these processes. These data enable estimates of the feasibility of the reactions as growth-supporting systems, and of the possible maximum growth yields of the bacteria and archaea catalysing them. We compare our new estimates with the few data that are currently available from the literature, and show that some published growth-yield assessments need reevaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Warwick, CV4 7AL, Coventry, UK. JScholten@bio.warwick.ac.uk
authors.forename: Johannes C M
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Scholten
authors.forename: J Colin
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Murrell
authors.forename: Donovan P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Kelly
mesh_terms: D015097:3-Mercaptopropionic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001105:Archaea / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D008697:Methane / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D008745:Methylation; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D013440:Sulfides / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D013452:Sulfonium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D013457:Sulfur Compounds / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D016999:Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013440:Sulfides; D013452:Sulfonium Compounds; D013457:Sulfur Compounds; C005231:methylmercaptan; D015097:3-Mercaptopropionic Acid; C068078:dimethylpropiothetin; D008697:Methane; C004784:dimethyl sulfide