Lebetimonas acidiphila
A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Lebetimonas acidiphila
Classification
Higher order taxa
Bacteria; Proteobacteria; Epsilonproteobacteria; Nautiliales; Nautiliaceae; Lebetimonas; Lebetimonas acidiphila
Species
NCBI: 267990
Lebetimonas acidiphila
Description and significance
This strain of bacteria are highly motile, gram-negative, rod shaped cells with a singular, polar flagellum. Their cell length averages from 1.5μm – 2.5μm with an approximate cell width of 0.6μm – 0.8μm.
Genome structure
Little is known about this microbe's genome at this time. The DNA G+C content of this strain of proteobacter was 34.0 mol%. Its length is 1,740,444 base pairs with 0 chromosomes, 0 plasmids, and 5 constituents. It contains 6 rRNA molecules and 40 tRNA molecules. The 16S rRNA gene is the distinguishing gene between Lebetimonas acidiphila and other species of Lebetimonas.
Cell and colony structure
These strictly anaerobic cells grow in a temperature range of 30-68°C with an optimum growth temperature of 50°C. The pH range for growth is 4.2-7.0 with an optimum pH of 5.2, classifying these protebacteria as acidophiles. NaCl is required for colonies to grow at concentrations of 6-50g/L. Optimum growth occurs at 20g/L of NaCl.
Metabolism
Lebetimonas acidiphila are obligate chemolithoautotrophs and can only utilize elemental sulfur as an electron acceptor. This species uses molecular hydrogen as its sole electron donor. It utilizes ammonium, nitrate, and organic nitrogen compounds as a nitrogen source, but cannot utilize nitrite or molecular nitrogen. CO2 is the sole carbon source for growth.
Ecology
This strain is isolated from the TOTO caldera deep-sea hydrothermal field in the Mariana Arc. This area contains highly acidic hydrothermal fluids due to oxidation of volcanic gas to sulfate. Colonies were isolated from nests of tube dwelling polychaetes in the Mariana Arc. There are no known symbiotic relationships between Lebetimonas acidiphila and other organisms.
Pathology
The pathology of Lebetimonas acidiphila is not yet known.
References
[Lebetimonas acidiphila. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://gcm.wfcc.info/speciesPage.jsp?strain_name=Lebetimonas acidiphila]
[Lebetimonas acidiphila. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Info&id=267990&lvl=3&lin=f&keep=1&srchmode=1&unlock]
[Meyer, J., & Huber, J. (2013). Strain-level genomic variation in natural populations of Lebetimonas from an erupting deep-sea volcano. The ISME Journal ISME J, 867-880.]
[PATRIC::Genome Overview. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from https://www.patricbrc.org/portal/portal/patric/Genome?cType=genome&cId=990069.3]
[Takai, K. (2005). Lebetimonas acidiphila gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel thermophilic, acidophilic, hydrogen-oxidizing chemolithoautotroph within the 'Epsilonproteobacteria', isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal fumarole in the Mariana Arc. International Journal Of Systematic And Evolutionary Microbiology, 183-189.]
Edited by Sarah O’Neil of Dr. Lisa R. Moore, University of Southern Maine, Department of Biological Sciences, http://www.usm.maine.edu/bio
