Summary Spore‐forming, Gram‐positive sulfate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) represent a group of SRB that dominates the deep subsurface as well as niches in which resistance to oxygen and dessication is an advantage. Desulfotomaculum reducens strain MI‐1 is one of the few cultured representatives of that group with a complete genome sequence available. The metabolic versatility of this organism is reflected in the presence of genes e...

Summary Syntrophomonas wolfei is a specialist, evolutionarily adapted for syntrophic growth with methanogens and other hydrogen‐ and/or formate‐using microorganisms. This slow‐growing anaerobe has three putative ribosome RNA operons, each of which has 16S rRNA and 23S rRNA genes of different length and multiple 5S rRNA genes. The genome also contains 10 RNA‐directed, DNA polymerase genes. Genomic analysis shows that S. wolfei...