Moorella thermoacetica

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Figure 1: Moorella thermoacetica cells in culture

Classification

Kingdom: Bacteria Phylum: Firmicutes Class: Clostridia Order: Thermoanaerobacterales Family: Thermoanaerobacteiaceae Genus: Moorela Species: thermoacetica

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Species

NCBI: Taxonomy

Moorella Thermoacetica

Description and Significance

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

Genome Structure

The complete genome of M. thermoacetica was sequenced in 2008. Upon completion it was the first acetogen to be mapped.

The genome consists of a single circular chromosome with 2,628,784 base pairs with a GC (guanine-cytosine) content of 56%. Seventy percent of the predicted 2523 protein-encoding genes had been assigned known functions, with the remaining having an unknown purpose.

Specific clusters including those linked to the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and autotrophy were confirmed.

Further analysis of the 16S rRNA sequences were pivotal in proving that acetogenesis is a metabolic trait rather than a phylogenetic trait.

Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle

Moorella thermoacetica cells are gram-positive and rod shaped, they ranging in size from 0.4 to 2.8 micrometers and possess peritrichous flagella though it lacks motility; the cells will form circular, opaque colonies. M. thermoacetica spores are spherical and most often are formed sub-terminally within the sporangium.

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.

References

Drake, H.L., Daniel, S.L. (2004) Physiology of the thermophilic acetogen Moorella thermoacetica. Research in Microbiology 155: 869-883.

Jiang, B., Henstra, A.M., Paulo, P.L., Balk, M., Van Doesburg, W., and Stams, A.J.M. (2009) Atypical one-carbon metabolism of an acetogenic and hydrogenogenic Moorella thermoacetica strain. Archives of Microbiology 191: 123-131.

Pierce. E., et al, 2008. The complete genome sequence of Moorella thermoacetica (f. clostridium thermoacetica) Environ Microbiol. 10 (10):2550-73

Author

Page authored by Thomas Wilson, Leena Babiker and Esther Dzikushie, students of Professors Ned Walker and Kaz Kashefi, Michigan State University.