This trait is found in some Campylobacterota, Thermodesulfobacteriota, Chloroflexota (green nonsulfur bacteria), low G+C gram positive Clostridia,[4] and ultramicrobacteria.
[6][8][3] A number of not only membrane-associated but also cytoplasmic hydrogenases, in some cases as part of the protein complexes, are predicted to play roles in the organohalide respiration process.
[6] Common substrates that are used as terminal electron acceptors in organohalide respiration are organochloride pesticides, aryl halides and alkyl solvents.
[8] In enhanced reductive dechlorination, the pollutants act as the electron acceptors and are completely reduced to ultimately produce ethene in a series of reactions.
[8] An ecologically significant aspect of bacterial organohalide respiration is the reduction of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and Trichloroethene (TCE); anthropogenic pollutants with high neuro and hepatotoxicity.
This is due to their specific transmembrane reductive dehalogenases (RDases) that metabolize the chlorine atoms on the xenobiotic pollutants for cellular energy.
[16] In particular, Dehalococcoides isolates VS and BAV1 encode Vinyl Chloride RDases, which metabolize VC into innocuous ethene, making them required species in ERD systems used in bioremediation of PCE and TCE.