Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Highlight
  • Published:

Environmental microbiology

Disentangling syntrophy

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 12, page 7 (2014)Cite this article

Subjects

Syntrophic interactions, in which two or more microorganisms cooperate metabolically to metabolize compounds that neither partner can metabolize alone, are common in environmental niches. Zengler and colleagues present a 'multi-omics', systems-based workflow to investigate the details of a syntrophic relationship between two Geobacter species.

Syntrophy that involves interspecies electron transfer is often found in methanogenic environments. Although this is mostly thought to involve interspecies hydrogen transfer, direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) has been observed in some methanogenic syntrophies. One such laboratory-evolved association involves Geobacter metallireducens and Geobacter sulfurreducens, which can grow syntrophically on ethanol and fumarate using DIET from G. metallireducens to G. sulfurreducens.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Nagarajan, H. et al. Characterization and modelling of interspecies electron transfer mechanisms and microbial community dynamics of a syntrophic association. Nature Commun. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms3809 (2013)

Download references

Authors
  1. Sheilagh Molloy
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Related links

Related links

Related links in Nature Research

Zengler, K. & Palsson, B. O. A roadmap for the development of community systems (CoSy) biology. Nature Rev. Microbiol. 10, 366–372 (2012)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Molloy, S. Disentangling syntrophy. Nat Rev Microbiol 12, 7 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro3194

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro3194

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Microbiology

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Microbiology