Extending the Upper Temperature Limit for Life

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 301; no. 5635; p. 934
• Main Authors: Kashefi, Kazem, Lovley, Derek R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 15-08-2003; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Action of physical and chemical agents on bacteria; Archaea - classification; Archaea - growth & development; Archaea - isolation & purification; Archaea - metabolism; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Brevia; Climate; Culture Media; Electrons; Evidence; Ferric Compounds - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; High temperature; Hot Temperature; Iron bacteria; Life; Metal-reducing bacteria; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Origin; Origin of life; Oxidation-Reduction; Pacific Ocean; Physiological aspects; Temperature; Water Microbiology; Pacific Ocean; Heat; Temperature; Archaeobacteria; Bacteria; Environmental factor; Microorganism; Survival
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1086823

Kashefi and Lovley discuss the combination of geological and microbiological evidence suggesting that electron transport to Fe(III) may have been the first form of microbial respiration as life evolved. The accumulation of Fe(III) in hot sediments around marine hydrothermal vents might have led to FE(III) reduction being an important process in modern hydrothermal environments. The use of Fe(III) as an electron acceptor was key to the isolation of strain 121, as it does not use other known electron acceptors.