Cytochrome expression shifts in Geobacter sulfurreducens to maximize energy conservation in response to changes in redox conditions

Previous studies have identified that Geobacter sulfurreducens has three different electron transfer pathways for respiration, and it switches between these pathways to adapt to the redox potential of its electron acceptor. However, only a small fraction of the electron carriers from each pathway have been identified. In this study, we combined electrochemical and gene expression data to identify electron carriers associated with each of the three pathways in the inner membrane, periplasm, outer membrane, and exterior of the cell. We demonstrate that it is not just the electron acceptor redox potential that controls pathway expression in G. sulfurreducens . Our method combining electrochemical modeling and transcriptomics could be adapted to better understand electron transport in other electroactive organisms with complex metabolisms. Graphical Abstract Graphical abstract was created with Biorender.com