RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Kunapuli, Umakanth A1 Jahn, Michael K. A1 Lueders, Tillmann A1 Geyer, Roland A1 Heipieper, Hermann J. A1 Meckenstock, Rainer U.YR 2010 T1 Desulfitobacterium aromaticivorans sp. nov. and Geobacter toluenoxydans sp. nov., iron-reducing bacteria capable of anaerobic degradation of monoaromatic hydrocarbons JF International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, VO 60 IS 3 SP 686 OP 695 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.003525-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1466-5034, AB Dissimilatory iron reduction plays a significant role in subsurface environments. Currently, it is assumed that members of the genus Geobacter constitute the majority of the iron-reducing micro-organisms that oxidize aromatic compounds in contaminated subsurface environments. Here, we report the isolation of two phylogenetically distinct pure cultures of iron-reducing degraders of monoaromatic hydrocarbons, strain TMJ1T, which belongs to the genus Geobacter within the Deltaproteobacteria, and strain UKTLT, belonging to the genus Desulfitobacterium within the Clostridia. Both strains utilize a wide range of substrates as carbon and energy sources, including the aromatic compounds toluene, phenol and p-cresol. Additionally, strain UKTLT utilizes o-xylene and TMJ1T utilizes m-cresol. Anaerobic degradation of toluene in both strains and o-xylene in strain UKTLT is initiated by activation with fumarate addition to the methyl group. The genomic DNA G+C contents of strains TMJ1T and UKTLT are 54.4 and 47.7 mol%, respectively. Based on a detailed physiological characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA genes of both strains, we propose the names Desulfitobacterium aromaticivorans sp. nov. (type strain UKTLT =DSM 19510T =JCM 15765T) and Geobacter toluenoxydans sp. nov. (type strain TMJ1T =DSM 19350T =JCM 15764T) to accommodate these strains. To the best of our knowledge, strain UKTLT is the first described spore-forming, iron-reducing bacterium that can degrade aromatic hydrocarbons., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijs.0.003525-0