Dehalobacter Restrictus Conducts Anaerobic Respiration By

Question

Dehalobacter restrictus conducts anaerobic respiration by A) reducing aromatic rings of lignin-derived compounds. B) donating electrons to Fe³⁺, converting it to Fe²⁺ in mine ores. C) donating electrons to Cl atoms, effectively performing dechlorination. D) donating electrons to NO3^-, yielding NO2^-. E) donating electrons to SO42^-, yielding HS^-.

Accepted Answer

Dehalobacter restrictus is known to perform dechlorination by donating electrons to chlorine atoms. This is a form of anaerobic respiration called reductive dechlorination, which can be utilized to detoxify environmental pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and trichloroethylene (TCE). Therefore, Choice C is the best option. The other choices involve electron transfer to compounds or minerals that are not typically used by Dehalobacter restrictus for energy metabolism.