Pyrococcus furiosus

A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Pyrococcus furiosus

Classification

Higher order taxa

Archaea; Euryarchaeota; Thermococci; Thermococcales; Thermococcaceae; Pyrococcus

Species

NCBI: Taxonomy

Pyrococcus furiosus

Description and significance

Pyrococcus furiosus is an aquatic anaerobe hyperthermophiles archaeon first isolated in a hydrothermal vent near Vulcano Island, Italy. Its optimal growth temperature is 100 0C, so its enzymes are extremely thermo-stable. It is one of the first hyperthermophiles to be studied extensively by scientists, and it was found that its enzymes and proteins are highly resistant to heat shock, and radiation (6). It is also notable that some of its enzymes are tungsten dependent, a very rare element to be found in biological system (5, 18). Moreover, it is unique among its kind in that it can use a wide range of compounds as carbon source, such as peptides, and carbohydrates (14). And unlike other hyperthermophiles, it does not need elemental sulfur for growth(8).

Genome structure

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Cell structure and metabolism

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Ecology

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Pathology

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Application to Biotechnology

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Current Research

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References

Fiala G. and Stetter K.O. (1986). "Pyrococcus furiosus sp. nov. represents a novel genus of marine heterotrophic archaebacteria growing optimally at 100°C". Archives of Microbiology 145: 56–61.

Edited by ChauNhien Nguyen, student of Rachel Larsen and Kit Pogliano