Oxygen defense in sulfate-reducing bacteria

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are strict anaerobes that are often found in biotopes where oxic conditions can temporarily exist. The bacteria have developed several defense strategies in order to survive exposure to oxygen. These strategies includes peculiar behaviors in the presence of oxygen, like aggregation or aerotaxis, and enzymatic systems dedicated to the reduction and the elimination of oxygen and its reactive species. Sulfate-reducing bacteria, and specially Desulfovibrio species, possess a variety of enzymes acting together to achieve an efficient defense against oxidative stress. The function and occurrence of these enzymatic systems are described.