5.4.4: Reduction of intermediate sulfur compounds
- Page ID
- 132822
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)In addition to serving as electron donors, intermediate sulfur compounds can also serve as electron acceptors in anaerobic microbial reactions. Some example reactions with dihydrogen \(\left(\text{H}_{2}\right)\) as the electron donor follow: \[\begin{align} & \text{S}_{2} \text{O}_{3}^{2-} + 4 \ \text{H}^{+} \longleftrightarrow 3 \ \text{H}_{2}\text{O} + 2 \ \text{HS}^{-} \\ & \text{SO}_{3}^{2-} + 3 \ \text{H}_{2} + \text{H}^{+} \longleftrightarrow \text{HS}^{-} + 3 \ \text{H}_{2} \text{O} \\ & \text{S}^{0} + \text{H}_{2} \longleftrightarrow \text{HS}^{-} + \text{H}^{+} \end{align}\]
Some sulfate-reducing Bacteria can use intermediate sulfur compounds as an electron acceptor. However, the ability to use sulfate as an electron acceptor does not guarantee the ability to use intermediate sulfur species (Ehrlich and Newman, 2009). Shewanella putrefaciens and some Clostridia, for example, cannot reduce sulfate but can reduce some intermediate sulfur compounds.
Similarly, many microorganisms that are capable of using ferric iron as their electron acceptor can also use intermediate sulfur compounds. Examples include some species within Shewanella, Desulfuromonas, Geobacter, and Pelobacter (Flynn et al., 2014; Lovley et al., 1995).
In addition to Bacteria, some Archaea and Eukaryotes can also reduce intermediate sulfur compounds. Some thermophilic Archaea can grow autotrophically on sulfur using dihydrogen or methane as their electron donor (Ehrlich and Newman, 2009; Stetter et al., 1986). Among Eukaryotes, some fungi can reduce intermediate sulfur species. For example, Ehrlich and Fox (1967) identified two strains of Rhodotorula and one of Trichosporon in acid-mine drainage that could reduce sulfur to sulfide with glucose as the electron donor.