PNNL

Abstract

Whole genome sequence for Shewanella oneidensis and Geobacter sulfurreducens has provided numerous new biological insights into the function of these model dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria. Many of the discoveries, including the identification of a high number of c-type cytochromes in both organisms, have been the result of comparative genomic analyses including several that were experimentally confirmed. Genome sequence has also aided the identification of genes important for the reduction of metal ions and other electron acceptors utilized by these organisms during anaerobic growth by facilitating the identification of genes disrupted by random insertions. Technologies for assaying global expression patterns for genes (mRNA) and proteins have also been enabled by the availability of genome sequence but their application has been limited mainly to the analysis of the role of global regulatory genes and to identifying genes expressed or repressed in response to specific electron acceptors. It is anticipated that details regarding the mechanisms of metal ion respiration, and metabolism in general, will eventually be revealed by comprehensive, systems-level analyses enabled by functional genomic analyses.