Thermococcus kodakarensis

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Thermococcus ksis
Scientific classification
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T. kodakarensis
Binomial name
Thermococcus kodakarensis
Atomi et al, 2004 [1]

Thermococcus kodakarensis is a species of thermophilic archaea. The type strain T. kodakarensis KOD1 is one of the best-studied members of the genus. [2]

Contents

History

T. kodakarensis was isolated from a solfatara near the shore of Kodakara Island, Kagoshima, Japan. [3] The isolate was originally named Pyrococcus kodakarensis KOD1, but reclassified as a species of Thermococcus, based on 16S rRNA sequence. [1] Early research with T. kodakarensis was directed mostly at its thermostable enzymes, but its relative ease of handling and genetic manipulation facilitated by natural competence has made it an attractive system for the study of several biological processes. [4] [5]

Properties

T. kodakarensis cells are irregular cocci 1–2 μm in diameter, often occurring in pairs, and are highly motile by means of lophotrichous archaella. The cell wall consists of a layer of diether and tetraether lipids, and an outer glycoprotein coat. [1] [3] T. kodakarensis is an obligate anaerobe, and a heterotroph, growing rapidly on a variety of organic substrates in the presence of elemental sulfur, producing hydrogen sulfide gas. The generation time is estimated to be 40 minutes under optimum conditions. [3] The requirement for elemental sulfur is relieved when pyruvate or starch is used for growth. In the absence of sulfur, hydrogen is produced instead of hydrogen sulfide. [1] Growth is possible at temperature ranging from 60–100 °C, with an optimum at 85 °C. [1] Like other marine organisms, high salt concentrations are required for optimal growth, and cell lysis may occur in dilute solutions.

Genome

In 2005, the genome of T. kodakarensis KOD1 was fully sequenced. The genome consists of a single 2,088,737 base pair circular chromosome, encoding a predicted 2306 proteins. [6]

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Atomi H, Fukui T, Kanai T, Morikawa M, Imanaka T (October 2004). "Description of Thermococcus kodakaraensis sp. nov., a well studied hyperthermophilic archaeon previously reported as Pyrococcus sp. KOD1". Archaea. 1 (4): 263–7. doi: 10.1155/2004/204953 . PMC   2685570 . PMID   15810436.
  2. Atomi H, Reeve J (November 2019). "Microbe Profile: Thermococcus kodakarensis: the model hyperthermophilic archaeon". Microbiology. 165 (11): 1166–1168. doi:10.1099/mic.0.000839. PMC   7137780 . PMID   31436525.
  3. 1 2 3 Morikawa M, Izawa Y, Rashid N, Hoaki T, Imanaka T (December 1994). "Purification and characterization of a thermostable thiol protease from a newly isolated hyperthermophilic Pyrococcus sp". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 60 (12): 4559–66. doi:10.1128/aem.60.12.4559-4566.1994. PMC   202019 . PMID   7811092.
  4. Sato T, Fukui T, Atomi H, Imanaka T (January 2003). "Targeted gene disruption by homologous recombination in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1". Journal of Bacteriology. 185 (1): 210–20. doi:10.1128/JB.185.1.210-220.2003. PMC   141832 . PMID   12486058.
  5. Sato T, Fukui T, Atomi H, Imanaka T (July 2005). "Improved and versatile transformation system allowing multiple genetic manipulations of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 71 (7): 3889–99. doi:10.1128/AEM.71.7.3889-3899.2005. PMC   1169065 . PMID   16000802.
  6. Fukui T, Atomi H, Kanai T, Matsumi R, Fujiwara S, Imanaka T (March 2005). "Complete genome sequence of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1 and comparison with Pyrococcus genomes". Genome Research. 15 (3): 352–63. doi:10.1101/gr.3003105. PMC   551561 . PMID   15710748.

Further reading