@article {3092,
	title = {Metatranscriptomic Evidence for Direct Interspecies Electron Transfer between Geobacter and Methanothrix Species in Methanogenic Rice Paddy Soils.},
	journal = {Appl Environ Microbiol},
	volume = {83},
	year = {2017},
	month = {2017 May 01},
	abstract = {<p>The possibility that  (formerly ) and  species cooperate via direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) in terrestrial methanogenic environments was investigated in rice paddy soils. Genes with high sequence similarity to the gene for the PilA pilin monomer of the electrically conductive pili (e-pili) of  accounted for over half of the PilA gene sequences in metagenomic libraries and 42\% of the mRNA transcripts in RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) libraries. This abundance of e-pilin genes and transcripts is significant because e-pili can serve as conduits for DIET. Most of the e-pilin genes and transcripts were affiliated with  species, but sequences most closely related to putative e-pilin genes from genera such as , , , and , were also detected. Approximately 17\% of all metagenomic and metatranscriptomic bacterial sequences clustered with  species, and the finding that  spp. were actively transcribing growth-related genes indicated that they were metabolically active in the soils. Genes coding for e-pilin were among the most highly transcribed  genes. In addition, homologs of genes encoding OmcS, a -type cytochrome associated with the e-pili of  and required for DIET, were also highly expressed in the soils.  species in the soils highly expressed genes for enzymes involved in the reduction of carbon dioxide to methane. DIET is the only electron donor known to support CO reduction in  Thus, these results are consistent with a model in which  species were providing electrons to  species for methane production through electrical connections of e-pili. species are some of the most important microbial contributors to global methane production, but surprisingly little is known about their physiology and ecology. The possibility that DIET is a source of electrons for  in methanogenic rice paddy soils is important because it demonstrates that the contribution that  makes to methane production in terrestrial environments may extend beyond the conversion of acetate to methane. Furthermore, defined coculture studies have suggested that when  species receive some of their energy from DIET, they grow faster than when acetate is their sole energy source. Thus,  growth and metabolism in methanogenic soils may be faster and more robust than generally considered. The results also suggest that the reason that  species are repeatedly found to be among the most metabolically active microorganisms in methanogenic soils is that they grow syntrophically in cooperation with  spp., and possibly other methanogens, via DIET.</p>},
	keywords = {Carbon Dioxide, Electron Transport, Fimbriae Proteins, Gene Expression Profiling, Geobacter, Metagenome, Methane, Methanosarcinaceae, Oryza, Soil Microbiology},
	issn = {1098-5336},
	doi = {10.1128/AEM.00223-17},
	author = {Holmes, Dawn E and Shrestha, Pravin M and Walker, David J F and Dang, Yan and Nevin, Kelly P and Woodard, Trevor L and Lovley, Derek R}
}
@article {3115,
	title = {Converting carbon dioxide to butyrate with an engineered strain of Clostridium ljungdahlii.},
	journal = {mBio},
	volume = {5},
	year = {2014},
	month = {2014 Oct 21},
	pages = {e01636-14},
	abstract = {<p>Microbial conversion of carbon dioxide to organic commodities via syngas metabolism or microbial electrosynthesis is an attractive option for production of renewable biocommodities. The recent development of an initial genetic toolbox for the acetogen Clostridium ljungdahlii has suggested that C. ljungdahlii may be an effective chassis for such conversions. This possibility was evaluated by engineering a strain to produce butyrate, a valuable commodity that is not a natural product of C. ljungdahlii metabolism. Heterologous genes required for butyrate production from acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) were identified and introduced initially on plasmids and in subsequent strain designs integrated into the C. ljungdahlii chromosome. Iterative strain designs involved increasing translation of a key enzyme by modifying a ribosome binding site, inactivating the gene encoding the first step in the conversion of acetyl-CoA to acetate, disrupting the gene which encodes the primary bifunctional aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase for ethanol production, and interrupting the gene for a CoA transferase that potentially represented an alternative route for the production of acetate. These modifications yielded a strain in which ca. 50 or 70\% of the carbon and electron flow was diverted to the production of butyrate with H2 or CO as the electron donor, respectively. These results demonstrate the possibility of producing high-value commodities from carbon dioxide with C. ljungdahlii as the catalyst. Importance: The development of a microbial chassis for efficient conversion of carbon dioxide directly to desired organic products would greatly advance the environmentally sustainable production of biofuels and other commodities. Clostridium ljungdahlii is an effective catalyst for microbial electrosynthesis, a technology in which electricity generated with renewable technologies, such as solar or wind, powers the conversion of carbon dioxide and water to organic products. Other electron donors for C. ljungdahlii include carbon monoxide, which can be derived from industrial waste gases or the conversion of recalcitrant biomass to syngas, as well as hydrogen, another syngas component. The finding that carbon and electron flow in C. ljungdahlii can be diverted from the production of acetate to butyrate synthesis is an important step toward the goal of renewable commodity production from carbon dioxide with this organism.</p>},
	keywords = {Acetyl Coenzyme A, Butyrates, Carbon Dioxide, Clostridium, Metabolic Engineering, Metabolic Flux Analysis, Metabolic Networks and Pathways, Recombinant Proteins},
	issn = {2150-7511},
	doi = {10.1128/mBio.01636-14},
	author = {Ueki, Toshiyuki and Nevin, Kelly P and Woodard, Trevor L and Lovley, Derek R}
}
@article {424,
	title = {Electrosynthesis of organic compounds from carbon dioxide is catalyzed by a diversity of acetogenic microorganisms.},
	journal = {Appl Environ Microbiol},
	volume = {77},
	year = {2011},
	month = {2011 May},
	pages = {2882-6},
	abstract = {Microbial electrosynthesis, a process in which microorganisms use electrons derived from electrodes to reduce carbon dioxide to multicarbon, extracellular organic compounds, is a potential strategy for capturing electrical energy in carbon-carbon bonds of readily stored and easily distributed products, such as transportation fuels. To date, only one organism, the acetogen Sporomusa ovata, has been shown to be capable of electrosynthesis. The purpose of this study was to determine if a wider range of microorganisms is capable of this process. Several other acetogenic bacteria, including two other Sporomusa species, Clostridium ljungdahlii, Clostridium aceticum, and Moorella thermoacetica, consumed current with the production of organic acids. In general acetate was the primary product, but 2-oxobutyrate and formate also were formed, with 2-oxobutyrate being the predominant identified product of electrosynthesis by C. aceticum. S. sphaeroides, C. ljungdahlii, and M. thermoacetica had high (>80\%) efficiencies of electrons consumed and recovered in identified products. The acetogen Acetobacterium woodii was unable to consume current. These results expand the known range of microorganisms capable of electrosynthesis, providing multiple options for the further optimization of this process.},
	keywords = {Acetobacterium, Carbon Dioxide, Clostridium, Electrodes, Electrons, Moorella, Organic Chemicals, Oxidation-Reduction, Veillonellaceae},
	issn = {1098-5336},
	doi = {10.1128/AEM.02642-10},
	author = {Nevin, Kelly P and Hensley, Sarah A and Franks, Ashley E and Summers, Zarath M and Ou, Jianhong and Woodard, Trevor L and Snoeyenbos-West, Oona L and Lovley, Derek R}
}
@article {435,
	title = {Microbial electrosynthesis: feeding microbes electricity to convert carbon dioxide and water to multicarbon extracellular organic compounds.},
	journal = {MBio},
	volume = {1},
	year = {2010},
	month = {2010},
	abstract = {The possibility of providing the acetogenic microorganism Sporomusa ovata with electrons delivered directly to the cells with a graphite electrode for the reduction of carbon dioxide to organic compounds was investigated. Biofilms of S. ovata growing on graphite cathode surfaces consumed electrons with the reduction of carbon dioxide to acetate and small amounts of 2-oxobutyrate. Electrons appearing in these products accounted for over 85\% of the electrons consumed. These results demonstrate that microbial production of multicarbon organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water with electricity as the energy source is feasible.},
	keywords = {Bioelectric Energy Sources, Carbon Dioxide, Electricity, Organic Chemicals, Veillonellaceae, Water},
	issn = {2150-7511},
	doi = {10.1128/mBio.00103-10},
	author = {Nevin, Kelly P and Woodard, Trevor L and Franks, Ashley E and Summers, Zarath M and Lovley, Derek R}
}
