Galdieria sulphuraria
From MicrobeWiki, the student-edited microbiology resource
Image of Galdiera sulphuraria courtesy of National Geographic.
Classification
Domain: Eukaryota; Class: Rhodophyta; Family: Cyanidiaceae; Genus: Galdieria
Species
Species: Galdiera sulphuraria
Description and Significance
Galdieria sulphuraria is a eukaryotic, spore-forming, coccus. G. sulphuraria appears yellow-green to dark blue-green grown heterotrophically in liquid culture, and often yellow or green in its natural environment. It is an acidophile, as well a thermophile, and inhabits highly acidic springs at high temperatures.
G. sulphuraria is a mixotrophic organism capable of both photosynthesis and the catabolism of a wide variety of metabolites.
Genome Structure
As a bona fide eukaryote, the Galdieria genome encodes all principle components of eukaryotic cells, in particular those of mitochondria, the endomembrane system, and plastids [Vanselow et al.]
Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle
Ecology
Image of Galdieria sulphuraria in Reykjavik http://www.nationalgeographic.com National Geographic.
