Facultative anaerobic organisms

A facultatively anaerobic organism designated Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans (Sanford et al. 2002) was capable of dechlorinating ortho-chlorinated phenols using acetate as electron donor—2-chlorophenol was reduced to phenol and 2,6-dichlorophenol to 2-chloro-phenol (Cole et al. 1994). A strain of Desulfovibrio dechloracetivorans was also able to couple the dechlorination of ortho-substituted chlorophenols to the oxidation of acetate, fumarate, lactate, and propionate (Sun et al. 2000). 

Preliminary observations indicate that the fox anal sac may generate highly reducing conditions, with redox potentials down to -400mV. A redox potential of -200mV has been recorded in the cecum of the mouse (34). In the anal sac, it appears that facultative anaerobic organisms, such as streptococci and Proteus spp. create and maintain an anaerobic environment in which strict anaerobes (frequently active odor producers) can grow. 

Hydrolysis The process in which carbohydrates and starches are simplified into organic soluble organics, usually by facultative anaerobes. 

The genus Staphylococcus is traditionally associated with disease in humans. The demonstration (Monna et al. 1993) that a strain of Staphylococcus auriculans—isolated by enrichment with dibenzofuran and with no obvions clinical association—could degrade this substrate and carry out limited biotransformation of hnorene and dibenzo[l,4]dioxin serves to illustrate the unsuspected metabolic potential of facultatively anaerobic Gram-positive organisms. 

Many contaminants contain nitrogen, phosphorus, or sulfur, and degradative organisms may utilize one or more of these leaving the major part of the substrate intact. This is particularly important for munitions-related compounds with a high N/C ratio, when the addition of carbon sources may lead to the favorable development of anaerobic or facultatively anaerobic microorganisms. 

A combination of aerobic and anaerobic organisms appears to increase the severity of infection. Facultative bacteria (such as E. coli) may provide an environment conducive to the growth of anaerobic bacteria.12 Although many bacteria isolated in mixed infections are nonpathogenic by themselves, their presence may be essential for the pathogenicity of the bacterial mixture.3 Facultative bacteria in mixed infections can ... 

Facultative anaerobe An organism that makes adenosine triphosphate by aerobic respiration if oxygen is present, but switches to fermentation under anaerobic conditions. 

From the biological point of view, the effect of anaerobiosis has been characterized in purely anaerobic, facultative anaerobic, and aerobic bacteria, in yeasts, and in tissues from higher organisms [6-12], From these studies it can be deduced that almost every azo compound can be biologically reduced under anaerobic conditions [4]. Reduced flavins are produced by cytosol flavin-dependent reductases [6, 13], while quinone reductase activity located in the plasma membrane [14] and extracellular azo reductase activities [9, 15] were also observed. 

The combination of aerobic and anaerobic organisms appears to greatly increase pathogenicity. In intraabdominal infections, facultative bacteria may provide an environment conducive to the growth of anaerobic bacteria. 

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