Caldivirga maquilingensis
{Uncurated}}
Classification
Domain: Archaea
Phylum: Crenarchaeota
Class: Thermoprotei
Order: Thermoproteales
Family: Thermoproteaceae
Species
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NCBI: Taxonomy |
Caldivirga maquilingensis
Description and Significance
Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why you think it is important.
Caldivirga maquilingensis were first isolated from a hot spring located in the Philippines. This hot spring is known as 'mud spring' and is found in Mt. Maquiling, Laguna. This hot spring is extremely acidic. The temperature range for the spring range from 60-92*C. The pH range was from 2.3-6.4. In lab growth, it was determined that C. maquilingensis grew best at 85*C and at a pH range of 3.7-4.2.
The appearance of C. maquilingensis ranges slightly. Most are rod-shaped and are either completely straight or have a slight curve shape. Although, the width of the bacteria range widely, the average size is 0.4-0.7 micrometers.
Identification of new hyperthermophilic archaea would definitely increase the biodiversity of microorganisms. It can also help in characterizing other related species by using its metabolic activity and genome sequences. C. maquilingensis can thereby improve our knowledge of emerging field of research such as other modes of DNA repair, transcription and translation regulation, and origins of life.
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? It has been found that it consist of 2048 genes and 37 pseudogenes. With the 2048 genes, 2000 are protein genes and the rest are RNA genes. The circular genome has a size of 2,077,567 base pairs. There were four strains of this microbial species - strains ATCC 700844, DSMZ 13496, JCM 10307, IC-167).
Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle
Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces. C. maquilingensis was found to have a distinct rod shape that could be straight or slightly curved, with lengths varying between 3-20 um. The widths of these cells were consistantly found to be 0.4-0.7 um in diatmeter. Occasionally, observations of globular bodies were found at either one or both ends of the cell. Another distinct feature of this anaerobic organism is that it was found to have a high amount of tetraether core lipids and trace amounts of diether core lipids. These features are utilized by this microorganism to help it thrive within its very hot and very acidic environment.
C. maquilingensis is a heterotrophic archaea that was found to have increased growth in the presence of carbon sources such as glycogen, gelatin, beef extract, peptone, tryptone and yeast extract. However, no growth was observed when there was an absence of an electron acceptor. The addition of sulfur, thiosulfate and sulfate to its envrionment to act as electron acceptors helped to induce and support growth. As C. maquilingensis grows, it produces sulfide as a byproduct.
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.
Caldivirga maquilingensis was found in the acidic hot mud springs near the base of Mt. Maquiling. These springs have a consistant temperature between 70°C and 90°C as well as a consistant pH range of 2.2 - 5.1. So far, there has been no evidence of a symbiosis between C. maquilingensis and other bacterial species, but it was found that Thermoproteus spp. also reside within the same hot spring environment in the Phillipines, which may have some kind of symbiotic relationship that is still unknown. As of right now, there has been no evidence of C. maquilingensis to have any pathogenicity towards any other microbes or humans.
References
Itoh, T., Suzuki, K., Sanchez, P.C. and Nakasel, T. (1999). Caldivirga maquilingensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a new genus of rod-shaped crenarchaeote isolated from a hot spring in the Philippines. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology; 49, p 1157-1163.
http://wishart.biology.ualberta.ca/BacMap/cgview_linked_maps/NC_009954/1_1.html
http://berry.engin.umich.edu/oligoarraydb/organismPage.php?ORG=Caldivirga%20maquilingensis%20IC-167
Author
Page authored by Katelyn Prieskorn, Elgin Paul Quebral, Mitchel Reed, and Grace Rodriguez, students of Prof. Jay Lennon at Michigan State University.
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