Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
==Description and significance== | ==Description and significance== | ||
''Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus'' is a methanogenic Gram-positive microorganism with a cell wall consisting of pseudomurein. This organism is a strictly anaerobic, nonmotile, methane producting archeon. Growth occurs at a pH of 7.2-7.6. This organism is found in thermophilic, anaerobic sewage sludge digestors. Energy metabolism is by the reduction of carbon dioxide to methane. This strain was isolated from sewage sludge in 1971 in Urbana, Illinois. | |||
So far only two prophage pseudomurein autolysins, PeiW and PeiP, have been reported. In this paper we show that PeiW and PeiP contain two different N-terminal pseudomurein cell wall binding domains. This finding was used to identify a novel domain, PB007923, on the M. thermautotrophicus genome present in 10 predicted open reading frames. Three homologues were identified in the Methanosphaera stadtmanae genome. Binding studies of fusion constructs of three separate PB007923 domains to green fluorescent protein revealed that it also constituted a cell wall binding domain. Both prophage domains and the PB007923 domain bound to the cell walls of Methanothermobacter species and fluorescence microscopy showed a preference for the septal region. Domain specificities were revealed by binding studies with other pseudomurein-containing archaea. Localized binding was observed for M. stadtmanae and Methanobrevibacter species, while others stained evenly. The identification of the first pseudomurein cell wall binding domains reveals the dynamics of the pseudomurein cell wall and provides marker proteins to study the extracellular pseudomurein biology of M. thermautotrophicus and of other pseudomurein-containing archaea. | |||
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sutils/static/GP_IMAGE/Diversity.jpg | |||
==Genome structure== | ==Genome structure== | ||
Revision as of 23:35, 2 May 2007
A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus
Classification
Higher order taxa
Cellular organisms; Archaea; Euryarchaeota; Methanobacteria;Methanobacteriales; Methanobacteriaceae; Methanothermobacter
Species
|
NCBI: Taxonomy |
Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus
Description and significance
Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus is a methanogenic Gram-positive microorganism with a cell wall consisting of pseudomurein. This organism is a strictly anaerobic, nonmotile, methane producting archeon. Growth occurs at a pH of 7.2-7.6. This organism is found in thermophilic, anaerobic sewage sludge digestors. Energy metabolism is by the reduction of carbon dioxide to methane. This strain was isolated from sewage sludge in 1971 in Urbana, Illinois.
So far only two prophage pseudomurein autolysins, PeiW and PeiP, have been reported. In this paper we show that PeiW and PeiP contain two different N-terminal pseudomurein cell wall binding domains. This finding was used to identify a novel domain, PB007923, on the M. thermautotrophicus genome present in 10 predicted open reading frames. Three homologues were identified in the Methanosphaera stadtmanae genome. Binding studies of fusion constructs of three separate PB007923 domains to green fluorescent protein revealed that it also constituted a cell wall binding domain. Both prophage domains and the PB007923 domain bound to the cell walls of Methanothermobacter species and fluorescence microscopy showed a preference for the septal region. Domain specificities were revealed by binding studies with other pseudomurein-containing archaea. Localized binding was observed for M. stadtmanae and Methanobrevibacter species, while others stained evenly. The identification of the first pseudomurein cell wall binding domains reveals the dynamics of the pseudomurein cell wall and provides marker proteins to study the extracellular pseudomurein biology of M. thermautotrophicus and of other pseudomurein-containing archaea.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sutils/static/GP_IMAGE/Diversity.jpg
Genome structure
Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence? Does it have any plasmids? Are they important to the organism's lifestyle?
Cell structure and metabolism
Describe any interesting features and/or cell structures; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.
Ecology
Describe any interactions with other organisms (included eukaryotes), contributions to the environment, effect on environment, etc.
Pathology
How does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.
Application to Biotechnology
Does this organism produce any useful compounds or enzymes? What are they and how are they used?
Current Research
Enter summaries of the most recent research here--at least three required
References
Edited by student of Rachel Larsen and Kit Pogliano
