Geomyces Destructans

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A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Geomyces Destructans

Scanning electron micrograph of Geomyces destructans. Image courtesy of David Blehart, USGS National Wildlife Health Center.. Image from [1]

Classification

Kingdon: Fungi

Subkingdom: Dikarya

Phylum: Ascomycota

Subphylum: Pezizomycotina

Class: Leotiomycetes

Order: Helotiales

Family: Myxotrichaceae

Genus: Geomyces

Species: Geomyces destructans

NCBI: Taxonomy Genome

Description and Significance

Chlorobium tepidum is a thermophilic green sulfer bacteria originally isolated from a New Zealand hot spring. This type of bacterium has special light-harvesting complexes called chlorosomes that contain bacteriochlorophylls and carotenoids. Chlorobium grows in dense mats over hot springs as well as in other warm muds and bodies of water that contain sufficient hydrogen sulfide (used by C. tepidum as an elecron donor). C. tepidum is a valuable model for the green sulfur bacteria because it is easily cultivated and naturally transformable.