Desulfuromonas acetoxidans was first described in 1976 by N. Pfennig and H. Biebl [10]. The name has a Latin root, meaning “single-celled organism that reduces sulphur (Desulfuromonas) and oxidizes acetate (acetoxidans)” [6, 10]. It was first described as a sulphur reducing bacteria capable of anaerobically reducing sulphur to sulphide [10]. However, it was later discovered to also possess the ability to perform dissimilatory Fe(III) reduction coupled with the oxidation of organic compounds [11].
Desulfuromonas acetoxidans is a rod-shaped, Gram negative bacterium that is predominantly found in marine sediments [10], though able to survive in fresh water environments [13]. The species is a strict anaerobe that uses a variety of electron donors, such as acetate, ethanol, propanol and butanol, to yield energy [10].
Desulfuromonas acetoxidans is part of the Desulfuromonas genus, which has a characteristic of being able to reduce sulphur through the conversion of elemental sulphur into sulphide [10]. D. acetoxidans is the first species described within the Desulfuromonas genus, and it is also the first marine microorganism ever described to support growth through Fe(III) or Mn(IV) reduction coupled to the oxidation of organic compounds [11].
As the first marine organism ever described to perform the oxidation of organic material coupled with reduction of Fe(III) or Mn(IV), D. acetoxidans has served as a model organism for the mechanism of Fe(III) or Mn(IV) oxidation of organic compounds [11].