A brief review of microbial arsenate respiration

In this review, we summarize the important recent findings relating to arse nate respiration by bacteria. A brief discussion of freshwater arsenic cycl ing is provided, with attention placed on the microbial contributions to th is cycle. The basic evidence for microbial growth an arsenate is presented for studies with both consortia and isolates, followed by a summary of the physiology and phylogeny of four arsenate-respiring bacteria: Chrysiogenes arsenatis strain BAL-l(T), Desulfotomaculum auripigmentum strain OREX-4, Su lfurospirillum arsenophilus strain MIT-13, and S. barnesii strain SES-3. Dr awing on biochemical studies of the arsenate reductase from S. barnesii str ain SES-3, a preliminary model for growth on arsenate is proposed. We concl ude with a discussion of the importance of microbial arsenate reduction in the environment.