| Rubrobacter xylanophilus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Bacillati |
| Phylum: | Actinomycetota |
| Class: | Rubrobacteria |
| Order: | Rubrobacterales |
| Family: | Rubrobacteraceae |
| Genus: | Rubrobacter |
| Species: | R. xylanophilus |
| Binomial name | |
| Rubrobacter xylanophilus Carreto et al. 1996 | |
Rubrobacter xylanophilus is a thermophilic species of bacteria. It is slightly halotolerant, short rod- and coccus-shaped and gram-positive, with type strain PRD-1T. It is the only known true radiation resistant thermophile. It can degrade xylan and hemicellulose. [1] The first strain of the genus Rubrobacter was isolated from gamma-irradiated hot spring water samples by Yoshinaka. This organism was found to be extremely gamma-radiation resistant, with a higher shoulder dose than the canonical radiation resistant species of the genus Deinococcus. The organism stained Gram-positive and was slightly thermophilic with an optimum growth temperature of about 60 °C. [2] .Genome sequencing of Rubrobacter xylanophilus has revealed numerous genes involved in DNA repair and oxidative stress protection, which are thought to contribute to its extreme resistance to radiation. [3] The species produces a thermostable D-amino acid oxidase that remains active at 65 °C. [4]