Thermogladius shockii gen. nov., sp. nov., a hyperthermophilic crenarchaeote from Yellowstone National Park, USA

Magdalena R. Osburn, Jan P. Amend

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

A hyperthermophilic heterotrophic archaeon (strain WB1) was isolated from a thermal pool in the Washburn hot spring group of Yellowstone National Park, USA. WB1 is a coccus, 0.6-1.2 μm in diameter, with a tetragonal S-layer, vacuoles, and occasional stalk-like protrusions. Growth is optimal at 84°C (range 64-93°C), pH 5-6 (range 3.5-8.5), and <1 g/l NaCl (range 0-4.6 g/l NaCl). Tests of metabolic properties show the isolate to be a strict anaerobe that ferments complex organic substrates. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence places WB1 in a clade of previously uncultured Desulfurococcaceae and shows it to have ≤96% 16S rRNA sequence identity to Desulfurococcus mobilis, Staphylothermus marinus, Staphylothermus hellenicus, and Sulfophobococcus zilligii. The 16S rRNA gene contains a large insertion similar to homing endonuclease introns reported in Thermoproteus and Pyrobaculum species. Growth is unaffected by the presence of S0 or SO4 2-, thereby differentiating the isolate from its closest relatives. Based on phylogenetic and physiological differences, it is proposed that isolate WB1 represents the type strain of a novel genus and species within the Desulfurococcaceae, Thermogladius shockii gen. nov., sp. nov. (RIKEN = JCM-16579, ATCC = BAA-1607, Genbank 16S rRNA gene = EU183120).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)45-52
Number of pages8
JournalArchives of Microbiology
Volume193
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2011

Keywords

  • Desulfurococcaceae
  • Novel species
  • Thermophile
  • Yellowstone national park

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

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