Desulfuraatiot

Desulfuraatiot is a fictional genus of sulfate-reducing bacteria created for instructional purposes to illustrate dissimilatory sulfur metabolism. It is not described in real taxonomic databases, but serves as a representative example in textbooks and microbiology courses of anaerobic, sulfur-respiring prokaryotes.

Taxonomy and description: In the imagined framework, Desulfuraatiot is placed among sulfate-reducing bacteria within the broader Desulfobacterota lineage. The organism is depicted as a Gram-negative, motile bacterium equipped with the cellular machinery typical of dissimilatory SRB, including genes associated with the dsrAB pathway for sulfate reduction and transport systems for short-chain organic substrates.

Metabolism: Desulfuraatiot performs anaerobic respiration by coupling the oxidation of organic substrates to the reduction of sulfate, producing hydrogen sulfide as a byproduct. It can utilize substrates such as acetate and lactate, and may enter alternative electron transfer pathways under differing environmental conditions. Its energy yield is consistent with other dissimilatory SRB, driving growth in oxygen-free environments.

Ecology and significance: In the fictional ecological niche, it inhabits marine and freshwater sediments, wetlands, and anaerobic digesters. It contributes to the global sulfur cycle and can influence metal corrosion through H2S production. The organism is used to illustrate how electron transfer, substrate utilization, and redox balance shape microbial communities and biogeochemical processes.

Discovery and naming: The name Desulfuraatiot is a constructed label for teaching purposes and does not correspond to a described species. See also: Sulfate-reducing bacteria; Sulfur cycle.