Desulfovibrio vulgaris DP4

Desulfovibrio vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (strain DP4) is an anaerobic bacterium phylogenetically associated with the delta subdivision of the Proteobacteria. Desulfovibrio vulgaris is a sulfate reducer commonly found in a variety of soil and aquatic environments. It respires by electron transfer using the heme group in c-type cytochromes, and can corrode metal by cathodic depolarization using the same process. Its preferred carbon substrates are lactate and pyruvate. The ability of this species to reduce Uranium (VI)ox to Uranium (IV)red makes it a good candidate for bioremediation of sites with uranium-contaminated groundwater. Metal corrosion, a problem that is partly the result of the collective activity of these bacteria, produces billions of dollars of losses each year to the petroleum industry. These organisms are also responsible for the production of poisonous hydrogen sulfide gas in marine sediments and in terrestrial environments such as drilling sites for petroleum products. (EBI Integr8)