Spirochaeta thermophila
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Spirochaeta thermophila | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Pseudomonadati |
| Phylum: | Spirochaetota |
| Class: | Spirochaetia |
| Order: | Spirochaetales |
| Family: | Spirochaetaceae |
| Genus: | Spirochaeta |
| Species: | S. thermophila |
| Binomial name | |
| Spirochaeta thermophila Aksenova 1992 | |
Spirochaeta thermophila is a fairly recently discovered free-living, anaerobic, spirochaete that seems to be the most thermophilic of the Spirochaetales order.[1][2] The type species was discovered in 1992 in Kuril islands, Russia and described in Aksenova, et al.[3][4] It has been isolated in the sediments and water columns of brackish aquatic habitats of various ponds, lakes, rivers, and oceans.[1] This organism is identified as a new species based on its unique ability to degrade cellulose, xylan, and other α- and β-linked sugars and use them as the sole carbon source by encoding many glycoside hydrolases.[1][2][5] It is presumed to secrete cellulases to break down plant-matter around it but there has been little work on the characterization of the enzymes responsible for this.[2]
The original description depicts single, helical, .2-.25 μm by 16-50 μm Gram-negative cells.[3] The temperature range for survival of Spirochaeta thermophila is between 40° and 73° C with an optimum range between 66° and 68 °C.[2][3] The pH range for survival was measured from 5.9 to 7.7 with an optimum of 7.5.[3] The G + C content measured was approximately 52% in the 1992 description but has been measured around 70% since that time.[1][3] The original description also noted that organisms of the same species isolated from different environments could have different optimum temperatures, optimum pH for growth, and optimum saline concentrations; these would change based on the environment in which the organism is living.[3]