Natronococcus

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A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Natronococcus

Contents 1 Classification 1.1 Higher order taxa: 1.2 Species: 2 Description and Significance 3 Genome Structure 4 Cell Structure and Metabolism 5 Ecology 6 References

Classification

Higher order taxa:

Archaea; Euryarchaeota; Halobacteria; Halobacteriales; Halobacteriaceae

Species:

NCBI: Taxonomy Genome

Natronococcus occultus SP4, N. amylolyticus

Description and Significance

This haloalkaliphilic archaeon is in the same family as microorganisms like Halobacterium. Study of Natronococcus continues to explore what enzymes are present in order to survive in these conditions, especially since there has not been much literature about enzymes of haloalkaliphiles.

Genome Structure

The G + C content for the major chromosome is 64.0% while the minor component has a 55.7% content. The approximate size of the plasmid is 144 kbp.

Cell Structure and Metabolism

Natronococcus is a heterotrophic, aerobic organism that can use sugars as a nitrogen source to stimulate growth. Specifically it can fix nitrogen from casamino acids, glucose, ribose, and sucrose and reduces nitrates to nitrites.

Cells are non-motile and occur in irregular clusters, pairs, and single cells. The cell is coccoid in shape and 1-2 microns in diameter. colonies are pale brown and circular.

Ecology

N occultus has been isolated from the soda lake Lake Magadi. This halophilic archaeon is partial to environments with 8-30% NaCl with optimum growth at 22%. It also grows in a pH range of 8.5-11 (optimum at 9.5) and a temperature range of 20-50^oC (optimum at 40^oC).

References

Nercessian, D. and Ruben D. Conde. 2000. Protein turnover during growth of the haloalkaliphilic archaeon Natronococcus occultus. J. Basic Microbiol. 40, 2: 119-126

Studdert et al. 1997. Detection and preliminary characterization of extracellular proteolytic activities of the haloalkaliphilic archaeon Natronococcus occultus. Arch Microbiol 168: 532-535

Tindall, B.J. 1989. Technical information sheet Publication No. 6.

Tindall, B.J., H.N.M. Ross, and W.D. Grant. 1984. Natronobacterium gen. nov. and Natronococcus gen. nov., Two New Genera of Haloalkaliphilic Archaebacteria. System. Appl. Microbiol. 5: 41-57.