Energy Production in Anaerobic Organisms
Abstract
Biological redox processes are required for the synthesis of “energy‐rich” compounds which are in an enzyme‐controlled equilibrium with the general energy carrier adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The basic mechanisms of biological energy transformation are substrate level (SLP) and electron transport phosphorylations (ETP). In anaerobic catabolism the numerous nutrients are channelled into only a few substrate level phosphorylations; the occurrence in chemotrophic anaerobes of energy conservation coupled to electron transport has not yet been demonstrated unequivocally. At present, the determination of the ATP turnover (Y ATP ) in growing cells appears to be a promising method of approaching this problem. The existing knowledge of oxygen dependent enzyme reactions and their molecular evolution provides the basis for a biochemical definition of aerobic and anaerobic organisms.
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Corrins are thought to be ancient, and earlier studies traced some corrin-dependent enzymes to LUCA, but whether the enzymes of corrin biosynthesis themselves trace to LUCA is unresolved.
“Corrins are thought to be ancient [45, 46], and earlier studies traced some corrin‐dependent enzymes to the last universal common ancestor, LUCA [47], but the issue of whether the enzymes of corrin biosynthesis themselves trace to LUCA is so far unresolved.”
From Evidence for corrin biosynthesis in the last universal common ancestor (2025) · cites this paper as [46]
Hydrothermal vents are particularly rich in chemical and thermodynamic similarities to the core energy releasing reactions of modern acetogens and methanogens.
“Hydrothermal vents are particularly rich in chemical and thermodynamic similarities to the core energy releasing reactions of modern acetogens and methanogens [42,43], lineages that over 40 years ago—before the discovery of either hydrothermal vents or archaebacteria—were proposed to be the most ancient microbes, because they are anaerobic chemoautotrophs that live from the H2–CO2 redox couple [44”
From Early bioenergetic evolution (2013) · cites this paper as [44]
If we search among modern microbes and their metabolism for ancient physiological phenotypes, the acetogens and methanogens stand out.
“If we search among modern microbes and their metabolism for ancient physiological phenotypes, the acetogens and methanogens stand out [44,109].”
From Early bioenergetic evolution (2013) · cites this paper as [44]
There is a consistent and robust line of biochemical evolutionary reasoning that FeS clusters, chemolithoautotrophy and anaerobes tend to reflect antiquity.
“There is a consistent and robust line of biochemical evolutionary reasoning that FeS clusters, chemolithoautotrophy and anaerobes tend to reflect antiquity [44,49,160,161].”
From Early bioenergetic evolution (2013) · cites this paper as [44]
There are only two basic ways that cells conserve energy as high energy phosphate bonds: substrate level phosphorylation and chemiosmotic energy harnessing using a rotor-stator ATP synthase.
“There are only two basic ways that cells conserve energy as high energy phosphate bonds: substrate level phosphorylation (Decker et al., 1970) and chemiosmotic energy harnessing using a rotor-stator ATP synthase (Walker et al., 1982; Walker, 2013).”
From Serpentinization as the source of energy, electrons, organics, catalysts, nutrients and pH gradients for the origin of LUCA and life (2023) · cites this paper as Decker et al., 1970
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“There are only two basic ways that cells conserve energy as high energy phosphate bonds: substrate level phosphorylation (Decker et al., 1970) and chemiosmotic energy harnessing using a rotor-stator ATP synthase (Walker et al., 1982; Walker, 2013).”
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- Authors
- Decker, K., Jungermann, K., & Thauer, R. K.
- Affiliations
- University of Freiburg (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Thauer, R. K.
- ORCID
- Thauer, R. K.
- Venue
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1970-02
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 138-158
- ISSN
- 0570-0833 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2066602606
- Cited by
- 203
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.38
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Microbial metabolism and enzyme function
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Production
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation
- Keywords
- anaerobic organisms, substrate-level phosphorylation, electron transport phosphorylation, ATP turnover, redox reactions, oxygen-dependent enzymes
- MeSH terms
- Adenosine Triphosphate, Alcohols, Amino Acids, Bacteria, Clostridium, Electron Transport, Energy Transfer, Oxidative Phosphorylation, Oxygen, Oxygen Consumption, Photosynthesis, Plants, Yeasts, Carbohydrate Metabolism
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