Filamentous bacteria transport electrons over centimetre distances

摘要

多细胞生物面临的一大挑战是，为每个细胞提rn供食物和氧气。Nils Risgaard-Petersen 及其同rn事报告了解决这一问题的一个令人吃惊的办rn法，该办法是由几厘米长的细丝状多细胞细菌rnDesulfobulbaceae获得的，它们生活在丹麦rnAarhus Bay的上层海洋沉积物中。这些生物似rn乎起活电线的作用，能够将来自深层缺氧沉积rn物中的有机物所产生的硫化物的电子传输给表rn层中可以获得的氧。这些微型活电线为未来研rn究提出了很多课题，并且还有可能在技术方面rn得到应用。%Oxygen consumption in marine sediments is often coupled to the oxidation of sulphide generated by degradation of organic matter in deeper, oxygen-free layers. Geochemical observations have shown that this coupling can be mediated by electric currents carried by unidentified electron transporters across centimetre-wide zones. Here we present evidence that the native conductors are long, filamentous bacteria. They abounded in sediment zones with electric currents and along their length they contained strings with distinct properties in accordance with a function as electron transporters. Living, electrical cables add a new dimension to the understanding of interactions in nature and may find use in technology development.