RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Prange, Alexander A1 Chauvistré, Reinhold A1 Modrow, Hartwig A1 Hormes, Josef A1 Trüper, Hans G A1 Dahl, ChristianeYR 2002 T1 Quantitative speciation of sulfur in bacterial sulfur globules: X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals at least three different species of sulfur JF Microbiology, VO 148 IS 1 SP 267 OP 276 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-148-1-267 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2080, AB X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy at the sulfur K-edge was applied to probe the speciation of sulfur of metabolically different sulfur-accumulating bacteria in situ. Fitting the spectra using a least-square fitting routine XANES reveals at least three different forms of sulfur in bacterial sulfur globules. Cyclooctasulfur dominates in the sulfur globules of Beggiatoa alba and the very recently described giant bacterium Thiomargarita namibiensis. A second type of sulfur globules is present in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans: here the sulfur occurs as polythionates. In contrast, in purple and green sulfur bacteria the sulfur mainly consists of sulfur chains, irrespective of whether it is accumulated in globules inside or outside the cells. These results indicate that the speciation of sulfur in the sulfur globules reflects the different ecological and physiological properties of different metabolic groups of bacteria., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-148-1-267