title: Comment on "A bacterium that can grow by using arsenic instead of phosphorus".
abstract: Wolfe-Simon et al. (Research Articles, 3 June 2011, p. 1163; published online 2 December 2010) argued that the bacterial strain GFAJ-1 can vary the elemental composition of its biomolecules by substituting arsenic for phosphorus. 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.
authors.affiliation: Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, IFR88, CNRS, 13402 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schoepp-Cothenet
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nitschke
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Barge
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ponce
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Tsapin
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D001149:Arsenates / Q000737:chemistry; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018053:Arsenites / Q000737:chemistry; D044129:Halomonadaceae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010710:Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001149:Arsenates; D018053:Arsenites; D010710:Phosphates; D010758:Phosphorus; C015001:arsenite; D001151:Arsenic; C025657:arsenic acid