A thermophile is an organism—a type of extremophile—that thrives at relatively high temperatures, between 41 and 122 °C. Many thermophiles are archaea, though some of them are bacteria and fungi. Thermophilic eubacteria are suggested to have been among the earliest bacteria.
Sulfur-reducing bacteria are microorganisms able to reduce elemental sulfur (S0) to hydrogen sulfide (H2S). These microbes use inorganic sulfur compounds as electron acceptors to sustain several activities such as respiration, conserving energy and growth, in absence of oxygen. The final product of these processes, sulfide, has a considerable influence on the chemistry of the environment and, in addition, is used as electron donor for a large variety of microbial metabolisms. Several types of bacteria and many non-methanogenic archaea can reduce sulfur. Microbial sulfur reduction was already shown in early studies, which highlighted the first proof of S0 reduction in a vibrioid bacterium from mud, with sulfur as electron acceptor and H
2 as electron donor. The first pure cultured species of sulfur-reducing bacteria, Desulfuromonas acetoxidans, was discovered in 1976 and described by Pfennig Norbert and Biebel Hanno as an anaerobic sulfur-reducing and acetate-oxidizing bacterium, not able to reduce sulfate. Only few taxa are true sulfur-reducing bacteria, using sulfur reduction as the only or main catabolic reaction. Normally, they couple this reaction with the oxidation of acetate, succinate or other organic compounds. In general, sulfate-reducing bacteria are able to use both sulfate and elemental sulfur as electron acceptors. Thanks to its abundancy and thermodynamic stability, sulfate is the most studied electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration that involves sulfur compounds. Elemental sulfur, however, is very abundant and important, especially in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, hot springs and other extreme environments, making its isolation more difficult. Some bacteria – such as Proteus, Campylobacter, Pseudomonas and Salmonella – have the ability to reduce sulfur, but can also use oxygen and other terminal electron acceptors.
The Alicyclobacillaceae are a family of Gram-positive bacteria. All members of this family are aerobic and form endospores.
Pyrococcus is a genus of Thermococcaceaen archaean.
In taxonomy, Thermococcus is a genus of thermophilic Archaea in the family the Thermococcaceae.
Deferribacter autotrophicus is the most recently discovered species in the Deferribacter genus, isolated from a deep sea hydrothermal field. This motile, thermophilic, anaerobic organism stands out for its unique metabolic versatility, particularly its autotrophic capabilities which had not been previously observed in its genus.
Persephonella marina is a Gram-negative, rod shaped bacteria that is a member of the Aquificota phylum. Stemming from Greek, the name Persephonella is based upon the mythological goddess Persephone. Marina stems from a Latin origin, meaning "belonging to the sea". It is a thermophile with an obligate chemolithoautotrophic metabolism. Growth of P. marina can occur in pairs or individually, but is rarely seen aggregating in large groups. The organism resides on sulfidic chimneys in the deep ocean and has never been documented as a pathogen.
Methanothermococcus okinawensis is a thermophilic, methane-producing archaeon first isolated from deep-sea hydrothermal vent on the western Pacific Ocean. Its cells are highly motile, irregular cocci, with a polar bundle of flagella. Its type strain is IH1T. It grows at an optimal temperature of 60–65 °C and pH of 6.7. It is strictly anaerobic and reduces carbon dioxide with hydrogen to produce methane, but it can also use formate. Research studies indicate that it might be able to survive extreme conditions in solar system's other bodies, such as Saturn's moon Enceladus.
Marinitoga piezophila is a species of rod-shaped, thermo-piezophilic bacteria. It is, anaerobic, chemo-organotrophic, sulfur-reducing, motile, have a mean length of 1-1.5 micrometres and stains Gram-negative. The type strain is KA3T.
Desulfurobacterium atlanticum is a thermophilic, anaerobic and chemolithoautotrophic bacterium from the family Aquificaceae. In 2006 it was isolated from marine hydrothermal systems and proposed to become a new bacterial species.
The genus Annwoodia was named in 2017 to circumscribe an organism previously described as a member of the genus Thiobacillus, Thiobacillus aquaesulis - the type and only species is Annwoodia aquaesulis, which was isolated from the geothermal waters of the Roman Baths in the city of Bath in the United Kingdom by Ann P. Wood and Donovan P. Kelly of the University of Warwick - the genus was subsequently named to honour Wood's contribution to microbiology. The genus falls within the family Thiobacillaceae along with Thiobacillus and Sulfuritortus, both of which comprise autotrophic organisms dependent on thiosulfate, other sulfur oxyanions and sulfide as electron donors for chemolithoheterotrophic growth. Whilst Annwoodia spp. and Sulfuritortus spp. are thermophilic, Thiobacillus spp. are mesophilic.
Alicyclobacillus cellulosilyticus is a species of acidophilic, thermophilic, strictly aerobic, bacterium. The bacteria Gram stains negative and produce endospores. It was first "isolated from steamed Japanese cedar chips from a lumber mill in Gobō, Wakayama Japan." The species was first described in 2014, and the name refers to the species' ability to digest cellulose.
Alicyclobacillus shizuokensis is a species of Gram positive, strictly aerobic, bacterium. The bacteria are acidophilic and produce endospores. It was first isolated from soil in a crop field in Shizuoka, Japan. The species was first described in 2007, and the name refers to the city from which it was first isolated.
Deferrisoma camini is a moderately thermophilic and anaerobic bacterium from the genus of Deferrisoma which has been isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent from the Eastern Lau Spreading Centre in the Pacific Ocean.
Coprothermobacter platensis is a species of moderately thermophilic and strictly anaerobic bacterium belonging to the family Coprothermobacteraceae within the phylum Coprothermobacterota.
Kyrpidia is a genus of Gram-positive, rod-shaped, thermophilic, spore-forming bacteria.
Kyrpidia tusciae is a species of Gram positive, facultatively anaerobic, thermophilic bacterium. The cells are rod-shaped and form spores.
Effusibacillus pohliae is a species of Gram positive, aerobic, thermophilic bacterium. The cells are rod-shaped and form spores. It was first isolated from Mount Melbourne, Antarctica. The species is named after the genus of Pohlia nutans, a species of moss that was colonizing the area where the type strain was isolated. E. pohliae has also been isolated from a geothermal heat pump in South Korea.
Alicyclobacillus vulcanalis is a species of Gram positive, strictly aerobic, thermophilic bacterium. The bacteria are acidophilic and produce endospores. It was first isolated from water in a hot spring from Coso Hot Springs, California, United States. The species was first described in 2004, and the name refers to Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and metal working.
Alicyclobacillus montanus is a species of Gram positive, strictly aerobic, thermophilic bacterium. The bacteria are acidophilic and produce endospores. It was first isolated from an acidic hot spring in Los Nevados National Natural Park in the Andes Mountains of Colombia. The species was first described in 2018, and the name refers to the Andes Mountains from which it was isolated.
