What Would Likely Occur If an Anammox Bacterium was Unable

Question

What would likely occur if an anammox bacterium was unable to use ladderane lipids?
A) Ammonium rather than ammonia would be used due to ammonia toxicity to other cellular processes within the anammoxosome.
B) It would require a different source for carbon assimilation.
C) Rates of anammox would be considerably slower due to a lack of localized metabolism.
D) Toxic products of the anammox reaction could kill the cell.

Accepted Answer

Ladderane lipids are crucial for anammox bacteria because they form a dense membrane around the anammoxosome, the organelle where the anammox reaction occurs. This dense membrane is necessary to protect the rest of the cell from the toxic intermediates produced during the anammox reaction. Without ladderane lipids, these toxic intermediates could escape into other parts of the cell and potentially kill the bacterium.