Ignicoccus hospitalis

This student page has not been curated.

Classification

Archaea; Crenarchaeota; Thermoprotei; Desulfurococcales; Desulfurococcaceae; Ignicoccus [1]

Description and Significance

I. hospitalis is a newly discovered hyperthermophile with many interesting features. Most unique, however, is its ability to serve as a host for the microbe Nanoarchaeum equitans. [2] This feature of I. hospitalis is striking because it is the first known hyperthermophilic archaeon to have this capability. [3] At present, it is not known whether the relationship between these two species is parasitic or symbiotic. [1] The species name, hospitalis was chosen due to its hosting ability. Besides that unique feature, I. hospitalis is an irregular cocci about 1-6μm in diameter. [1] These microbes are typically found in pairs. They are chemolithoautotrophs that grow exclusively by reducing sulfur. [1] Like the other members of their genus, they exhibit a cell envelope that consists of a plasma membrane, periplasmic space, and an outer membrane. [4]

Structure, Metabolism, and Life Cycle

Interesting features of its structure; how it gains energy (how it replicates, if virus); what important molecules it produces (if any), does it have an interesting life cycle?

Ecology and Pathogenesis

I. hospitalis is a hyperthermophilic organism that was first isolated from the Kolbeinsey Ridge, a hydrothermal vent system north of Iceland. It is also considered a moderate acidophile and a moderate halophile due to its optimal growth at pH 5.5 and 1.4% NaCl. [1] I. hospitalis has no known pathogenic properties.

References

[1] Paper W, Jahn U, Hohn MJ, Kronner M, Nather DJ, Burghardt T, Rachel R, Stetter KO, Huber H. 2007. "Ignicoccus hospitalis sp. nov., the host of 'Nanoarchaeum equitans'. Int. J Syst Evol Microbiol. 57:803-808.

[2] Waters E, Hohn MJ, Ahel I, Graham DE, Adams MD, Barnstead M, Beeson KY, Bibbs L, Bolanos R. 2003. The genome of Nanoarchaeum equitans: insights into early archaeal evolution and derived parasitism. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 100:12984–12988.

[3] Huber H, Hohn MJ, Rachel R, Fuchs T, Wimmer VC, Stetter KO. 2002. A new phylum of Archaea represented by a nanosized hyperthermophilic symbiont. Nature. 417:63–67.

[4] Rachel R, Wyschkony I, Riehl S, Huber H. 2002. The ultrastructure of Ignicoccus: evidence for a novel outer membrane and for intracellular vesicle budding in an archaeon. Archaea. 1:9–18.

Author

Page authored by Andrea Richard, student of Mandy Brosnahan, Instructor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, MICB 3301/3303: Biology of Microorganisms.