Meiothermus

This student page has not been curated.

Figure 1. Meiothermus silvanus. Image from Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research[1]

Classification

Domain: Bacteria, Phylum: Deinococcus-Thermus, Class: Deinococci, Order: Thermales, Family: Thermaceae

Species

NCBI: Taxonomy

• Meiothermus chiliarophilus

• Meiothermus cerbereus

• Meiothermus granaticius

• Meiothermus rosaceus

• Meiothermus ruber

• Meiothermus rufus

• Meiothermus silvanus

• Meiothermus timidus

• Meiothermus taiwanensis

Description and Significance

Figure 2. Meiothermus "slime". Image from Marko Kolari [2]

Before the recognition of the genus Meiothermus, the species under the genus Thermus were designated as either high or low-temperature species. The proposal of a new genus Meiothermus in 1996 was made to designate the phylogenetic, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic distinctiveness of the species that have low optimum growth temperatures. Meiothermus indicates an organism living in a "less-hot" place [1]. Meiothermus, is a Gram-negative, aerobic, and variable in length - often forming short filaments. Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why you think it is important.

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?

Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle

Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.

Ecology and Pathogenesis

Habitat; symbiosis; biogeochemical significance; contributions to environment.
If relevant, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.

References

[1] Nobre, M.F., Truper, H.G. and Da Costa, M.S. "Transfer of Thermus ruber (Loginova et al. 1984), T. silvanus (Tenreiro et al. 1995), and T. chiliarophilus (Tenreiro et al. 1995) to Meiothermus gen. nov. as Meiothermus ruber comb. nov., Me. silvanus comb. nov., and Me. chilarophilus comb. nov., respectively, and emendation of the genus Thermus". "International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology". 1996. Volume 56. p. 604-606.

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.

Author

Page authored by Michael Huarng and Steven Huynh, student of Prof. Jay Lennon at Michigan State University.

<-- Do not remove this line-->