Methanothermobacter tenebrarum

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Classification

Archaea; Euryarchaeota; Methanobacteria; Methanobacteriales; Methanobacteriaceae; Methanothermobacter

Species

NCBI: Taxonomy

Methanothermobacter tenebrarum

Description and Significance

The cells are Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, straight rods. They often occur in pairs.

Tenebrarum translates to English as "of darkness." Methanothermobacter tenebrarum lives in deep terrestrial subsurfaces.

Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why you think it is important.

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?

Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle

Methanothermobacter tenebrarum is a non-motile cell with a straight rod shape. Within its environment, the cells typically occur as individuals or in pairs. Cell walls are thick, approximately 21 nm, and bundles of fimbriae occur at the poles of the cell structure. Metabolically speaking, Methanothermobacter tenebrarum is hydrogenotrophic, which means that it converts hydrogen to other compounds. In its anaerobic environment, the organism grows soley on Hydrogen and Carbon Dioxide, but requires Casamino acids, tryptone, yeast extract, or vitamins for growth. Acetate also stimulates the growth of the cell. Methanothermobacter tenebrarum is a methanogen, which means that it produces methane as a product of its metabolism. Its total oxidation potenetial is only -300 mV.

Ecology and Pathogenesis

Habitat; symbiosis; biogeochemical significance; contributions to environment.
As of now, there is no known effect of this microbe on human health. It is not known to cause disease or be detrimental to other species in any other way.

References

Nakamura et al., "Methanothermobacter tenebrarum sp. nov., a hydrogenotrophic, thermophilic methanogen isolated from gas-associated formation water of a natural gas field". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. (2013),63, 715-722.

Author

Page authored by Collin Rumsey and Jeffrey Hudson, students of Prof. Jay Lennon at Michigan State University.

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