Desulfurococcus mobilis: Difference between revisions
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Describe its habitat, symbiosis, and contributions to environment. If it is a pathogen, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Describe virulence factors and patient symptoms. | Describe its habitat, symbiosis, and contributions to environment. If it is a pathogen, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Describe virulence factors and patient symptoms. | ||
<i>D. mobilis<i> is found in solfataric hot springs. They are found in | <i>D. mobilis</i> is found in solfataric hot springs. They are found in fumaroles, or openings within the earth's crust, which emit sulfur gas and water vapor. The temperature in these fumaroles can reach up to It has been isolated in parts of Iceland and within the United States. Its contribution to the environment is not well-documented, however it is not thought to be pathogenic towards any organism. Interestingly, the archaeon is host to the | ||
==Interesting feature== | ==Interesting feature== | ||
Revision as of 05:34, 24 October 2011
A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Desulfurococcus mobilis
Classification
Domain: Archea; Phylum: Crenarchaeota; Class: Thermoprotei; Order: Desulfurococcales; Family: Desulfurococcaceae ; Genus: Desulfurococcus; Species: mobilis.
Description and significance
Desulfurococcus mobilis is an extreme thermophile, living up to temperatures of 97° C and at a pH between 2.2 and 6.5. The species ranges in size from about 0.5 microns to 10 microns, and is covered with a unique, tetragonally-arrayed surface protein which forms a mesh of cross-shaped units. It is an anaerobe and is dependent upon sulfur for respiration. D. mobilis is found in solfataric (volcanic and sulfur emitting) hot springs and is most commonly isolated under these conditions in the country of Iceland. Its ability to survive in extreme conditions makes this archaeon valuable for uses in biotechnology, since thermostable and thermoactive enzymes can be isolated from this organism, like the restriction enzyme I-Dmol. Interestingly, the first known prokaryotic rRNA intron was discovered in D. mobilis, helping to give insights on the evolutionary relationship between archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes. Further, this organism is not a known pathogen.
Genome structure
D. mobilis contains a single and circular chromosome. It is not known to contain any plasmids. The genome of D. mobilis has not yet been sequenced, however its closest relative, Desulfurococcus mucosus was determined to have a genome size of 1.3 million bp. There exists a 622bp intron within the 23S rRNA gene with a splicing site in domain IV.
Cell structure, metabolism & life cycle
Provide a physical and biochemical description of the organism. What kind of organism is it, what does it look like, how is it built, what are its metabolic properties, how can it be identified, what is it's life cycle, &c. In other words, describe the organism from its perspective.
This organism is an organotroph and has a strictly anaerobic metabolism. It acquires energy by fermenting peptides. Its growth is dependent upon the reduction of sulfur and inhibited in the presence of hydrogen gas. They can be identified by their coccus shape and unique protein coat. The exterior of the organism is coated with irregularly arranged surface glycoproteins. These proteins form a lattice which is comprised of cross-shaped units. The protein coat is thought to function as a molecular sieve that mediates the adsorption of small to medium-sized molecules (>700kd). Additionally the protein coat is flexible, and possibly works as an exoskeleton to assist against osmotic stress.
Ecology (including pathogenesis)
Describe its habitat, symbiosis, and contributions to environment. If it is a pathogen, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Describe virulence factors and patient symptoms.
D. mobilis is found in solfataric hot springs. They are found in fumaroles, or openings within the earth's crust, which emit sulfur gas and water vapor. The temperature in these fumaroles can reach up to It has been isolated in parts of Iceland and within the United States. Its contribution to the environment is not well-documented, however it is not thought to be pathogenic towards any organism. Interestingly, the archaeon is host to the
Interesting feature
Describe in detail one particularly interesting aspect of your organism or it's affect on humans or the environment.
References
http://jb.asm.org/cgi/reprint/169/12/5563.pdf http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v318/n6047/abs/318675a0.html http://www.jgi.doe.gov/sequencing/why/desulfurococcus.html http://www.bacterio.cict.fr/d/desulfurococcus.html
