Fractionation of Hydrogen Isotopes by Sulfate- and Nitrate-Reducing Bacteria

Fractionation of Hydrogen Isotopes by Sulfate- and Nitrate-Reducing Bacteria

Hydrogen atoms from water and food are incorporated into biomass during cellular metabolism and biosynthesis, fractionating the isotopes of hydrogen-protium and deuterium-that are recorded in biomolecules. While these fractionations are often relatively constant in plants, large variations in the magnitude of fractionation are observed for many heterotrophic microbes utilizing different central...

Stable carbon isotope fractionation by sulfate-reducing bacteria.

Biogeochemical transformations occurring in the anoxic zones of stratified sedimentary microbial communities can profoundly influence the isotopic and organic signatures preserved in the fossil record. Accordingly, we have determined carbon isotope discrimination that is associated with both heterotrophic and lithotrophic growth of pure cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). For heterotro...

Anaerobic degradation of oil hydrocarbons by sulfate-reducing and nitrate-reducing bacteria

Crude oil is a complex mixture mainly composed of various saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons. Whereas degradation of hydrocarbons by oxygen-respiring microorganisms has been known for nearly one century, utilization of hydrocarbons under anoxic conditions has been investigated only during the past ten years. The present paper summarizes investigations into the anaerobic degradability of crude ...

Fractionation of hydrogen isotopes in lipid biosynthesis

Isotopic compositions of carbon-bound hydrogen in individual compounds from eight di€erent organisms were measured using isotope-ratio-monitoring gas chromatography±mass spectrometry. This technique is capable of measuring D/H ratios at natural abundance in individual lipids yielding as little as 20 nmol of H2, and is applicable to a wide range of compounds including hydrocarbons, sterols, and ...

Hydrogen-utilizing, sulfate-reducing bacteria in marine sediments.