Aquifex pyrophilus

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This Funk Microbial Biorealm Genus template page is a guide for each student when creating and adding an entirely new species to MicrobeWiki. COPY AND PASTE this entire template (below) to set up a new page for a new species entry, then begin to fill in and edit the page. State at the bottom of the page that the page is "Authored by [your Student Name]" in front of "a student of CJ Funk at John Brown University".

Classification

Higher order taxa

Domain: Bacteria

Phylum: Aquificae

Class: Aquificae

Order: Aquificales

Family: Aquificaceae

Species

NCBI: Taxonomy

Aquifex pyrophilus

Description and significance

a. Aquifex pyrophilus is a thermophilic bacteria, often found in near underwater volcanoes or hot springs. The name A. pyrophilus means "water-maker," due to the fact that A. pyrophilus uses oxygen in its respiration, and produces water as a bi-product. However, A. pyrophilus can also use nitrogen for respiration, excluding oxygen from the respiration process entirely. A. pyrophilus was discovered by Robert Huber and Karl Stetter in 1992 in a body of water just north of Ireland.

b. Aquifex pyrophilus is a rod shaped bacteria, typically 2-6 micrometers in length and 0.5 micrometers in diameter. It is a Gram negative bacteria, with polytrichous flagella that allow it to be highly motile. Colonies of A. pyrophilus are characterized by a brownish-yellow color and are typically round. Colony size is approximately 1mm in diameter. A. pyrophilus represent the bacteria with the highest growth temperatures known so far.

Genus: Aquifex https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Aquifex

Genome and genetics

a. To what major branch of the prokaryotes do they belong? (see textbook or Bergey’s). List 2-3 closely related but separate species or genera of bacteria.

b. Briefly describe any extra-chromosomal elements or genetic tools that are used to study the bacterium: viruses, plasmids, transposons that allow genetic manipulation and analysis.

c. Has the genome or genomes been sequenced? If so, include the website for the database and one or two highlights of the genome. Also indicate genome size (base pairs), %G+C (nucleotide base composition) and number of genes, and specific genes or gene regions that are unique to this organism. If it has not been sequenced, give its closest relative that has been sequenced, its website, and some general information about the related sequence.

Example: The sequence of Haemophilus influenzae was determined using whole genome shotgun sequencing (Fleischmann et al. 1995).

Nutrition and metabolism

a.Describe the growth characteristics of your bacterial species; sources of C, N, electrons; respires/ferments, uses O2, etc.

b.What kinds of culture conditions (temp, pH, media) are needed for laboratory study?

c.What kinds of waste, by-products, volatile compounds are generated?

Ecology / Pathology

Ecology: How is your microorganism important in the ecosystem where it is found? How does it impact other organisms in the environment (could be positive or negative impact)?

Pathology: How does the microbe cause disease as it interacts with the host? Describe any specific toxins or pathways that are used for invading and causing disease in the host. What treatment is used to inhibit or kill the microbe?

Current Research

Describe recent research and findings that have been done with this organism. The research can be clinical, applied or basic research. This section should be based on 2 recent papers (10 years or less) and summarized in your own words.

References

Behammer W, Shao Z, Mages W, Rachel R, Stetter KO, Schmitt R. Flagellar structure and hyperthermophily: Analysis of a single flagellin gene and its product in Aquifex pyrophilus. J Bacteriol. 1995 Nov; 177(22): 6630-6637.

Bergey DH, Whitman WB, De VP, Garrity GM, Jones D. Bergey's manual of systematic bacteriology: Vol. 3. New York (NY): Springer; 2009.

Burggraf S, Olsen GJ, Stetter KO, Woese CR. A phylogenetic analysis of Aquifex pyrophilus. Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 1992 Aug; 15(3): 352-356. Universitat Regensburg, Germany.

Lim JH, Hwang KY, Cho J, Lee DY, Ahn BY, Cho Y, Kim KS, Han YS. Mutational effects on thermostable superoxidaze dismutase from Aquifex pyrophilus: Understanding the molecular basis of protein thermostability. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2001 Oct 19; 288(1): 263-268.

Malapaka VR, Tripp BC. A theoretical model of Aquifex pyrophilus flagellin: Implications for its thermostability. J Mol Model. 2006 March; 12(4): 481-493.

Authored by [student name], a student of CJ Funk at John Brown University