19. Anoxigenic photosynthesis: processes and organisms

19.1 Light-driven redox processes.
  • Electron sources for photosynthesis: oxidation of reduced sulfur, ferro-iron, hydrogen and carbon compounds.
  • Missing processes: photosynthesis with methane (?), ammonia (?) are they feasible ?
  • Variations of van Niel's unifying concept of photosynthesis.
19.2 Morphological and physiological diversity
  • Enrichment and isolation of anoxigenic phototrophic bacteria.
  • Phylogeny of anaerobic phototrophs, a clue to the evolution of photosynthesis.
  • Phenotypic traits of anoxic phototrophs: pigments, metabolism, membrane structures.
  • Distinguishing features of Chromatiaceae, Ectothiorhodospiraceae, Chlorobiaceae, Heliobacteriaceae, "Chloroflexaceae" and Rhodospirillaceae.
  • Pigment diversity: bacteriochlorophylls, carotenoids, phycobilins.
  • Diversity of metabolisms: C-fixation, carboxylases and electron transfer in phototrophs.
  • Phototrophs living chemotrophically: How phototrophs survive in the dark.
 
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