''Chrysiogenes arsenatis'' is a species of

bacterium Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were a ...

in the family Chrysiogenaceae. It has a unique

biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology ...

. Instead of respiring with oxygen, it respires using the most oxidized form of arsenic,

arsenate The arsenate ion is . An arsenate (compound) is any compound that contains this ion. Arsenates are salts or esters of arsenic acid. The arsenic atom in arsenate has a valency of 5 and is also known as pentavalent arsenic or As(V). Arsenate r ...

. It uses arsenate as its

terminal electron acceptor An electron acceptor is a chemical entity that accepts electrons transferred to it from another compound. It is an oxidizing agent that, by virtue of its accepting electrons, is itself reduced in the process. Electron acceptors are sometimes mista ...

. Arsenic is usually toxic to life. Bacteria like ''Chrysiogenes arsenatis'' are found in anoxic arsenic-contaminated environments.

References

External links

Type strain of ''Chrysiogenes arsenatis'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
Chrysiogenetes Bacteria described in 1996 {{Bacteria-stub