Skip to main content
Applied Microbiology logoLink to Applied Microbiology
. 1969 Jul;18(1):41–43. doi: 10.1128/am.18.1.41-43.1969

Enzymatic Reduction of Iron Oxide by Fungi

J C G Ottow 1, A Von Klopotek 1
PMCID: PMC377882  PMID: 16349855

Abstract

The occurrence of the iron-reducing phenomenon among some common fungi was studied. Results indicated that (i) the reduction of ferric iron to the ferrous state by fungi seems to be restricted to nitrate reductase-inducible strains such as Actinomucor repens, Alternaria tenuis, Fusarium oxysporum, and F. solani and (ii) the amount of dissolved ferrous iron may be reduced progressively by increasing the amount of nitrate added to the medium. Compared with a complex medium (Sabouraud medium), less iron became reduced if NO3- was the only nitrogen source (Czapek Dox medium). These data strongly support the view that ferric iron is acting as an hydrogen acceptor in respiration, competing with nitrate for electrons that are mediated by the enzyme nitrate reductase. The significance of this property from an ecological viewpoint is discussed.

Full text

PDF
43

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ALEXANDER M. BIOCHEMICAL ECOLOGY OF SOIL MICROORGANISMS. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1964;18:217–252. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.18.100164.001245. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. HACKENTHAL E., MANNHEIM W., HACKENTHAL R., BECHER R. DIE REDUKTION VON PERCHLORAT DURCH BAKTERIEN. I. UNTERSUCHUNGEN AN INTAKTEN ZELLEN. Biochem Pharmacol. 1964 Feb;13:195–206. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(64)90137-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. NASON A. Symposium on metabolism of inorganic compounds. II. Enzymatic pathways of nitrate, nitrite, and hydroxylamine metabolisms. Bacteriol Rev. 1962 Mar;26:16–41. doi: 10.1128/br.26.1.16-41.1962. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ottow J. C. Evaluation of iron-reducing bacteria in soil and the physiological mechanism of iron-reduction in Aerobacter aerogenes. Z Allg Mikrobiol. 1968;8(5):441–443. doi: 10.1002/jobm.3630080512. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Trimble R. B., Ehrlich H. L. Bacteriology of manganese nodules: III. Reduction of MnO(2) by two strains of nodule bacteria. Appl Microbiol. 1968 May;16(5):695–702. doi: 10.1128/am.16.5.695-702.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES