Hyperthermus butylicus

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Managing Editor

Daniel Barich '05 A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Hyperthermus butylicus

Electron micrographs of H. butylicus. a: Single cell with pili; b: Duplex form; c: Cells connected by a string of cytoplasm; d: Cell with a tail; e: Ghost exhibiting an S layer; f: Duplex form exhibiting an S layer and vacuoles. From Zillig, W. et al. "Hyperthermus butylicus, a Hyperthermophilic Sulfur-Reducing Archaebacterium That Ferments Peptides." J. of Bacteriol. July, 1990. Vol. 172, No. 7. p. 3962.

Classification

Higher order taxa

Archaea; Crenarchaeota; Thermoprotei; Desulfurococcales; Pyrodictiaceae

Species

Hyperthermus butylicus

NCBI: Taxonomy Genome

Description and significance

Hyperthermus butylicus is under Archaeal kingdom Crenarchaeota. This aquatic anaerobe is found near the coast of the island of São Miguel, Azores, Portugal. Found in temperatures as high as 112C°, H. butylicus has a broad temperature optimum of 95 to 107C°. Thermophilic archaebacteria uses H2S formation only as an accessory energy source. Its main mode of energy is fermentation.

H. butylicus carries superoxide reductase and peroxyredoxin that removes superoxides without producing O2. Superoxides are harmful to organisms due to its free radical state. The removal of superoxides without making O2 keeps the electric gradient of the inside relatively negative compared to the outside.

Genome structure

The genome of Hyperthermus is currently being sequenced by the group from the University of Copenhagen. The G + C content of the DNA is around 55%.

Cell structure and metabolism

Hyperthermus butylicus resembles the shape of Sulfolobus. They form irregular spheres with flat surfaces. Pili are found on the surface. Vacuoles are also found below the S layer.

H. butylicus has several ways to harvest energy. It utilizes sulfur reducing enzymes such as hydrogenase to harvest energy by reducing elemental sulfur to H2S. The addition of elementary sulfur and H2 significantly helped the growth and formation of H2S. Sulfur reduction is an important way to make energy for H. butylicus. The functional protein complexes that are bound to the surface of membranes catalyze sulfur reduction to H2S.

It also uses peptide mixtures as carbon source, but cannot use amino acid mixtures, synthetic peptides, or undigested protein. No chemolithoautotrophic growth was found without the peptide mixtures as carbon source. In absence of the elementary sulfur and H2, it acquired nitrogen from NH4+ ions.

H. butylicus is the first archaebacterium to have its fermentation products identified. Fermentation occurs with and without the presence of elementary sulfur and H2. Fermatation products include CO2, 1-butanol, acetic acid, phenylacetic acid and a trace of hydroxyphenyl acetic acid.

Ecology

Samples were taken near the coast of the island of São Miguel in Azores, Portugal. Hyperthermus butylicus ispopular under 40cm under sand along the gas vents that release steam, CO2, and some H2S. The pH of the environment is about 7 and salt optimum of 17g of NaCl per liter.

H. butylicus has a broad temperature optimum of 95 to 107C°. It can survive temperature as high as 112C°. It goes through genetic changes to assimilate into higher temperatures.

References

Zillig, W., Holz, I., Janekovic, D., Klenk, H., Imsel, E., Trent, J., Wunderl, S., Fojaz, V. H., Coutinho, R., and Ferreira, T."Hyperthermus butylicus, a Hyperthermophilic Sulfur-Reducing Archaebacterium That Ferments Peptides." Journal of Bacteriology. July, 1990. Volume 172, Number 7. p. 3959-3965.

Kenyon Student Editors, 2002-2007

Ryo Tashiro '09, Molly Schlemmer '08, Shrochis Karki '09, Drew Taber³, Allison Whipple '06, Zeva Levine¹, Laura Damon-Moore¹, Ariel Kahrl², Hannah Sacks '08, Michael Stulberg '05, Casey M. Smith '06, and Shana Scogin '07

Advisor: Joan Slonczewski, Biology Dept, Kenyon College
Guest editors from ¹Beloit, ²Oberlin, and ³Columbia Union College.
Funded by HHMI awards to Kenyon College, 2000, 2004.

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