Thermanaerothrix

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Thermanaerothrix
Scientific classification
Domain:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Thermanaerothrix

Grégoire et al. 2011 [1]
Type species
Thermanaerothrix daxensis
Gregoire et al. 2011
Species
  • T. daxensis

Thermanaerothrix is a bacteria genus from the family of Anaerolineaceae with one known species ( Thermanaerothrix daxensis ). [2] [1] [3] [4] Thermanaerothrix daxensis has been isolated from water from the Saint-Christophe spring in France. [5]


Taxonomy and Classification

Thermanaerothrix belongs to the domain Bacteria and is classified within the phylum Firmicutes. Within this phylum, it finds its place in a distinct class known as Clostridia, a group of anaerobic bacteria characterized by their ability to form heat-resistant endospores. Thermanaerothrix's specific genus and species highlight its thermal preferences and adaptations to extreme conditions.

Habitat and Extremophilic Nature

Thermanaerothrix thrives in extreme environments characterized by high temperatures, typically ranging from 60 to 80 degrees Celsius (140 to 176 degrees Fahrenheit). This extremophile has been discovered in geothermal areas, hot springs, and other thermal habitats where most organisms struggle to survive. Its ability to flourish in such harsh conditions underscores the incredible adaptability of microbial life.

Metabolic Pathways and Energy Sources

As an anaerobic bacterium, Thermanaerothrix relies on metabolic pathways that operate in the absence of oxygen. Its energy metabolism is often based on the fermentation of organic compounds, allowing it to extract energy and thrive in environments devoid of oxygen. The specific substrates and metabolic pathways employed by Thermanaerothrix contribute to its survival strategies in extreme thermal environments.

Biotechnological Potential

Thermanaerothrix's unique physiological and metabolic features have captured the interest of researchers exploring biotechnological applications. Enzymes produced by extremophiles like Thermanaerothrix have shown promise in various industrial processes, such as biofuel production and bioremediation. Understanding the biochemical machinery of these organisms may unlock valuable tools for sustainable technologies.

Genomic Insights

Advancements in genomic sequencing have enabled scientists to delve into the genetic makeup of Thermanaerothrix, providing insights into its adaptation mechanisms and evolutionary history. Comparative genomics with other extremophiles offers a broader understanding of the shared genetic traits that equip microorganisms to thrive in extreme conditions.

Challenges and Conservation

While Thermanaerothrix exemplifies the tenacity of life in extreme environments, it also faces challenges, including habitat disturbances and environmental changes. Conservation efforts aimed at preserving the unique ecosystems where Thermanaerothrix thrives are essential for sustaining the biodiversity of extremophiles and the ecological balance of these extreme habitats.


See also

Related Research Articles

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An extremophile is an organism that is able to live in extreme environments, i.e., environments with conditions approaching or stretching the limits of what known life can adapt to, such as extreme temperature, pressure, radiation, salinity, or pH level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pseudomonadota</span> Phylum of Gram-negative bacteria

Pseudomonadota is a major phylum of Gram-negative bacteria. Currently, they are considered the predominant phylum within the realm of bacteria. They are naturally found as pathogenic and free-living (non-parasitic) genera. The phylum comprises six classes Acidithiobacilia, Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Hydrogenophilia, and Zetaproteobacteria. The Pseudomonadota are widely diverse, with differences in morphology, metabolic processes, relevance to humans, and ecological influence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thermophile</span> Organism that thrives at relatively high temperatures

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.

A mesophile is an organism that grows best in moderate temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, with an optimum growth range from 20 to 45 °C. The optimum growth temperature for these organisms is 37 °C. The term is mainly applied to microorganisms. Organisms that prefer extreme environments are known as extremophiles. Mesophiles have diverse classifications, belonging to two domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and to kingdom Fungi of domain Eucarya. Mesophiles belonging to the domain Bacteria can either be gram-positive or gram-negative. Oxygen requirements for mesophiles can be aerobic or anaerobic. There are three basic shapes of mesophiles: coccus, bacillus, and spiral.

<i>Thermus aquaticus</i> Species of bacterium

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The Thermomicrobia is a group of thermophilic green non-sulfur bacteria. Based on species Thermomicrobium roseum and Sphaerobacter thermophilus, this bacteria class has the following description:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archaeoglobaceae</span> Family of archaea

Archaeoglobaceae are a family of the Archaeoglobales. All known genera within the Archaeoglobaceae are hyperthermophilic and can be found near undersea hydrothermal vents. Archaeoglobaceae are the only family in the order Archaeoglobales, which is the only order in the class Archaeoglobi.

"Aquifex aeolicus" is a chemolithoautotrophic, Gram-negative, motile, hyperthermophilic bacterium. "A. aeolicus" is generally rod-shaped with an approximate length of 2.0-6.0μm and a diameter of 0.4-0.5μm. "A. aeolicus" is neither validly nor effectively published and, having no standing in nomenclature, should be styled in quotation marks. It is one of a handful of species in the Aquificota phylum, an unusual group of thermophilic bacteria that are thought to be some of the oldest species of bacteria, related to filamentous bacteria first observed at the turn of the century. "A. aeolicus" is also believed to be one of the earliest diverging species of thermophilic bacteria. "A. aeolicus" grows best in water between 85 °C and 95 °C, and can be found near underwater volcanoes or hot springs. It requires oxygen to survive but has been found to grow optimally under microaerophilic conditions. Due to its high stability against high temperature and lack of oxygen, "A. aeolicus" is a good candidate for biotechnological applications as it is believed to have potential to be used as hydrogenases in an attractive H2/O2 biofuel cell, replacing chemical catalysts. This can be useful for improving industrial processes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulfur-reducing bacteria</span> Microorganisms able to reduce elemental sulfur to hydrogen sulfide

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.

Microbial biodegradation is the use of bioremediation and biotransformation methods to harness the naturally occurring ability of microbial xenobiotic metabolism to degrade, transform or accumulate environmental pollutants, including hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heterocyclic compounds, pharmaceutical substances, radionuclides and metals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archaea</span> Domain of single-celled organisms

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<i>Thermotoga maritima</i> Species of bacterium

Thermotoga maritima is a hyperthermophilic, anaerobic organism that is a member of the order Thermotogales. T. maritima is well known for its ability to produce hydrogen (clean energy) and it is the only fermentative bacterium that has been shown to produce Hydrogen more than the Thauer limit (>4 mol H2 /mol glucose). It employs [FeFe]-hydrogenases to produce hydrogen gas (H2) by fermenting many different types of carbohydrates.

Thermoplasma volcanium is a moderate thermoacidophilic archaea isolated from acidic hydrothermal vents and solfatara fields. It contains no cell wall and is motile. It is a facultative anaerobic chemoorganoheterotroph. No previous phylogenetic classifications have been made for this organism. Thermoplasma volcanium reproduces asexually via binary fission and is nonpathogenic.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aciduliprofundum boonei</span> Species of archaeon

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Thermodesulfobium is a Gram-negative, strictly anaerobic, moderately thermophilic, non-spore-forming and non-motile genus of bacteria from the family of Thermodesulfobiaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydrothermal vent microbial communities</span> Undersea unicellular organisms

The hydrothermal vent microbial community includes all unicellular organisms that live and reproduce in a chemically distinct area around hydrothermal vents. These include organisms in the microbial mat, free floating cells, or bacteria in an endosymbiotic relationship with animals. Chemolithoautotrophic bacteria derive nutrients and energy from the geological activity at Hydrothermal vents to fix carbon into organic forms. Viruses are also a part of the hydrothermal vent microbial community and their influence on the microbial ecology in these ecosystems is a burgeoning field of research.

TM7x, also known as Nanosynbacter lyticus type strain TM7x HMT 952. is a phylotype of one of the most enigmatic phyla, Candidatus Saccharibacteria, formerly candidate phylum TM7. It is the only member of the candidate phylum that has been cultivated successfully from the human oral cavity, and stably maintained in vitro. and serves as a crucial paradigm. of the newly described Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR). The cultivated oral taxon is designated as Saccharibacteria oral taxon TM7x. TM7x has a unique lifestyle in comparison to other bacteria that are associated with humans. It is an obligate epibiont parasite, or an "epiparasite", growing on the surface of its host bacterial species Actinomyces odontolyticus subspecies actinosynbacter strain XH001, which is referred to as the "basibiont". Actinomyces species are one of the early microbial colonizers in the oral cavity. Together, they exhibit parasitic epibiont symbiosis.

References

  1. 1 2 Parker, Charles Thomas; Garrity, George M (2013). Parker, Charles Thomas; Garrity, George M (eds.). "Nomenclature Abstract for Thermanaerothrix". The NamesforLife Abstracts. doi:10.1601/nm.24945 (inactive 2024-04-17).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of April 2024 (link)
  2. Klotz, Martin G.; Bryant, Donald A.; Fredrickson, Jim K.; Inskeep, William P.; Kühl, Michael (2016). Systems biology and ecology of microbial mat communities. Frontiers Media SA. ISBN   9782889197934.
  3. "Thermanaerothrix". www.uniprot.org.
  4. Grégoire, P; Fardeau, ML; Joseph, M; Guasco, S; Hamaide, F; Biasutti, S; Michotey, V; Bonin, P; Ollivier, B (November 2011). "Isolation and characterization of Thermanaerothrix daxensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a thermophilic anaerobic bacterium pertaining to the phylum "Chloroflexi", isolated from a deep hot aquifer in the Aquitaine Basin". Systematic and Applied Microbiology. 34 (7): 494–7. doi:10.1016/j.syapm.2011.02.004. PMID   21621938.
  5. "Details: DSM-23592". www.dsmz.de.

Further reading