Desulfovibrio are sulfate-reducing bacteria that use sulfate as an electron acceptor during anaerobic respiration. They are curved rod-shaped, gram-negative bacteria found in organic-rich anoxic environments. Desulfovibrio reduce sulfate to hydrogen sulfide during metabolism, which can be used to precipitate heavy metals and aid in bioremediation of wastewater.

1. Desulfovibrio

2. Taxonomy
• Domain: Eubacteria
• Phylum: Proteobacteria (purple bacteria)
• Class: δ-Proteobacteria
• Order: Desulfavibrionales
• Family: Desulfovibrionaceae
• Genus: Desulfovibrio

3. Representative species
www.deskuenvis.nic.in
D. vulgaris
http://n-equals-one.com
D. desulfuricans

4. Morphology
• Colonies
▫ Pink or peach colored
• Cells
▫ Dimensions: 2.5-10 µm long × 0.5-1.5 µm wide
▫ Gram negative
▫ Shape: Curved rods (vibrio)

5. Physiology
• Non-spore forming
• Mesophilic
• Motility
▫ Motile
▫ Polar flagella
 Mono- or lophotrichous
• Produces black precipitate throughout
SIM tube

6. Metabolism
• Either Chemoorganoheterotrophic or
Chemolithoautotrophic
• Strict anaerobes
▫ some strains are shown to be aerotolerant
• Anaerobic Respiration or Fermentation
• Carbon sources:
▫ acetate, formate, lactate, pyruvate, CO2, other
organic compounds (eg. crude oil components)

7. Metabolism
• Electron donors:
▫ formate, lactate, pyruvate, acetate, iron, H2
• Electron acceptors:
▫ SO4
2-
, other oxidized sulfur species, oxidized
nitrogen species (eg. nitrate, nitrite)
• Major products of metabolism:
▫ H2S

8. Global Sulfur Cycle

9. Habitat/Environmental adaptation
• Found in organic-rich anoxic
environments:
▫ Mud, sediment of polluted lakes
▫ Sewage lagoons and methane digesters
(bioreactors)
▫ Waterlogged soils
▫ Oil fields

10. Bioremediation
• Sewage, industrial wastewater, and mine
drainage contain toxic heavy metals
(Cr, Cu, Mn, Zn)
• H2S produced by Desulfovibrio species removes
heavy metals by precipitation
• Used in toxic waste cleanup

11. Experiment
• Measured the capacity of Desulfovibrio
desulfuricans to precipitate heavy metals from
wastewater
• Organic dye production wastewater treated for 6
days with Desulfovibrio desulfuricans in an
anaerobic bioreactor had reduced heavy metal
concentrations:
▫ [Zn2+] reduced by 97.53%
▫ [Ni2+] reduced by 98.96%
▫ [Cu2+] reduced by 85.42%

12. Negative effects
• High [H2S] can kill local flora
• Rotten egg smell
• Corrosion of iron pipelines by reducing
iron metal:
Fe(s)  Fe2+
(aq)

13. Infections
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC156571/

14. Question
What role does sulfate play in Desulfovibrio
metabolism?
A. sulfur source
B. electron donor
C. electron acceptor
D. carbon source

15. References
Cabrera, G., Pérez, R., Gomez, J. M., Abalos, A., & Cantero, D. (2006). Toxic effects of
dissolved heavy metals on Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Desulfovibrio sp. strains. Journal
of hazardous materials, 135(1), 40-46.
Desulfovibrio. (2006). In Dictionary of microbiology & molecular biology. Retrieved from
http://proxy.iusb.edu:2443/login?qurl=http%3A%2F%2Fproxy.iusb.edu%3A3194%2Fco
ntent%2Fentry%2Fwileymicrob%2Fdesulfovibrio%2F0
Kosinska, K., Miskiewicz, T. (2012) Precipitation of heavy metals from industrial
wastewater by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans. Environment Protection Engineering, 38, 51-
60.
Voordouw, G. (1995). The genus Desulfovibrio: the centennial. Applied and
environmental microbiology, 61(8), 2813.
Wiley, J.M., Sherwood, L.M., Woolverton C.J. (2014). Prescott’s Microbiology. New
York: McGraw-Hill.
Magot M et al. (2004). Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 54:1693-1697.