''Desulfotomaculum'' is a genus of
Gram-positive
In bacteriology, gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test, which is traditionally used to quickly classify bacteria into two broad categories according to their type of cell wall.
Gram-positive bacte ...
,
obligately anaerobic soil bacteria. A type of
sulfate-reducing bacteria
Sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) or sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP) are a group composed of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and sulfate-reducing archaea (SRA), both of which can perform anaerobic respiration utilizing sulfate () as termin ...
, ''Desulfotomaculum'' can cause food spoilage in poorly processed canned foods. Their presence can be identified by the release of
hydrogen sulfide gas with its rotten egg smell when the can is first opened. They are
endospore
An endospore is a dormant, tough, and non-reproductive structure produced by some bacteria in the phylum Bacillota. The name "endospore" is suggestive of a spore or seed-like form (''endo'' means 'within'), but it is not a true spore (i.e., no ...
-forming bacteria.
A new strain of ''Desulfotomaculum'', called ''
Desulforudis audaxviator'', was discovered in 2005 during drilling 2.8 km deep in the Mponeng gold mine in South Africa. The strain, found in water which has been isolated for tens of millions of years, exists completely independent of
photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored in ...
.
The bacteria uses radiolytically-produced
hydrogen gas
Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, a ...
, which is generated in that environment by the energy released by radioisotopes, as well as
sulfate
The sulfate or sulphate ion is a polyatomic anion with the empirical formula . Salts, acid derivatives, and peroxides of sulfate are widely used in industry. Sulfates occur widely in everyday life. Sulfates are salts of sulfuric acid and many ...
s which may be generated both by the energy released by radioisotopes as well as by other chemical reactions, to form
hydrogen sulfide, which replaces the
hydrogen bond
In chemistry, a hydrogen bond (or H-bond) is a primarily electrostatic force of attraction between a hydrogen (H) atom which is covalently bound to a more electronegative "donor" atom or group (Dn), and another electronegative atom bearing ...
s produced by normal photosynthesis. This discovery holds great promise, as it proves that organisms can obtain energy from sources other than from the sun or other stars, which means similar lifeforms may be found on other planets in the
Solar System
The Solar System Capitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar ...
and elsewhere.
''Desulfotomaculum'' are straight or curved rods, are highly heat resistant and a free-living fixer of atmospheric nitrogen. They are motile with a peritrichous flagella and are common inhabitants of soil, water, geothermal run-off, insect intestines and in rumen. They also cause "sulphide stinker" spoilage of canned foods.
References
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q1761532
Peptococcaceae