Thermococcus atlanticus

Classification

Higher order taxa

Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Deinococcota
Class:  Deinococci
Family:  Thermaceae
Genus:  Thermus

Species

Species:T.aquaticus
Binomial name: Thermus aquaticus strain MA898

Description and significance

Thermococcus atlanticus was isolated from deep-sea hydrothermal vents on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This Archaeon is extremely thermophilic with a preferred temperature of 85 degrees C. This strain also has an optimal NACL concentration of 3% and pH of 7 for growth. This microorganism requires rich proteinaceous substrates and prefers environments with Polysulfur, L-cysteine, cystine, or elemental sulfur. The strain is an aerobic coccus and grows up to 1.2μm in diameter. Thermococcus atlanticus is an obligate heterotroph that prefers to grow on proteinaceous substrates. The genera of Thermococcus are being studied for biotechnological purposes regarding DNA polymerases or conjugative plasmids. Thermococcus atlanticus is understudied but could lead to future innovations.

Fig. 1 Scanning electron micrograph of strain MA898. Scale represents 2 μm

16S Ribosomal RNA Gene Information

The Mol% G+C content of the DNA Isolate MA898 was 50% according to thermal denaturation.

Phylogenetic relationships based on 16S rRNA sequences. The topology shown is a consensus tree obtained with the three methods (neighbor joining, maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood)

Cell structure and metabolism

Strain MA898 of Thermococcus atlanticus is single celled and ranges in size from .7 to 1.2 μm. the cells were observed as being nonmotile. The cells likely divided through constriction. The cells have a slightly irregular cocci shape and live as a form of plankton. This microbe is an obligate anaerobic chemoorganotroph.

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Ecology and Pathogenesis

T.atlanticus is found in the mid-Atlantic Ocean at deep-sea hydrothermal vents. They thrive in high-temperature and high-pressure environments. It also preferentially grows in the presence of elemental sulfur, polysulfur, cystine, or L-cysteine. This strain also requires a protein rich substrate. This species was found in the chimney wall of hydrothermal vents, it is a new hyperthermophilic, heterotrophic archaeal species.

References

 Cambon-bonavita, M., Lesongeur, F., Pignet, P., Wery, N., Lambert, C., Godfroy, A., Querellou, J., & Barbier, G. (2003). Extremophiles, Thermophily section, species description Thermococcus atlanticus sp. nov., a hyperthermophilic Archaeon isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Extremophiles, 7(2), 101-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-002-0301-8

Author

Maura Cleary

Students of Hidetoshi Urakawa at Florida Gulf Coast University