Phenazines
Phenazines are redox-active metabolites that are produced by certain soil bacteria and play an important role in the chemistry and ecology of the pedosphere. The compounds have been found across habitats and are especially abundant in root zones. Their redox activity makes them very reactive, and although they are found in relatively low concentrations, they have a disproportionate impact on the microbial ecology of the rhizosphere. Producer bacteria use phenazines to effectively compete with other soil microbes and acquire inorganic nutrients, which are processes that could be harnessed for sustainable agricultural practices in the future.
Biosynthesis and Chemistry
Redox-Active Metabolites
Redox-active metabolites (RAMs) can be generally defined as ‘natural byproducts’ or ‘secondary metabolites’ of soil bacteria [1]. Although they are produced intracellularly and support cellular redox balancing, they are also secreted and may react extracellularly in the soil <ref name="(Dahlstrom et al., 2020)">. They accept and donate electrons to various soil constituents, hence why they are called ‘redox-active.'<ref name="(Dahlstrom et al., 2020)">
References
- ↑ Dahlstrom, Kurt; McRose, Darcy L.; Newman, Dianne K. (2020). Keystone metabolites of crop rhizosphere microbiomes. Current Biology. Volume 30, Issue 19, Pages R1131-R1137, ISSN 0960-9822, "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.005".