The diversity and evolution of microbial dissimilatory phosphite oxidation.

Phosphite is the most energetically favorable chemotrophic electron donor known, with a half-cell potential (') of -650 mV for the PO/PO couple. Since the discovery of microbial dissimilatory phosphite oxidation (DPO) in 2000, the environmental distribution, evolution, and diversity of DPO microorganisms (DPOMs) have remained enigmatic, as only two species have been identified. Here, metagenomic sequencing of phosphite-enriched microbial communities enabled the genome reconstruction and metabolic characterization of 21 additional DPOMs.