| Drake, HL; Küsel, K: Acetogenic clostridia. In: Dürre, P. (ed.), Handbook on Clostridia, CRC-Press, 719-746 (2005) | |
| Abstract: For the purposes of this article, acetogenic clostridia are defined as species of the genus Clostridium that utilize the acetyl-CoA pathway for the reductive synthesis of acetyl-CoA from CO2. The genus Clostridium was restructured in the mid-1990’s. This restructuring is not without consequence relative to the content of this chapter. The acetyl-CoA pathway is a terminal electron-accepting process, and is also termed the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway in recognition of the two biochemists, Harland G. Wood and Lars G. Ljungdahl, who were responsible for elucidating most of its enzymological features. Although the focus of this chapter is on acetogens in the genus Clostridum, 20 other bacterial genera also contain acetogens. Although emphasis is placed on acetogenic clostridia, much of the information presented applies to all acetogenic genera. |
