Nanoarchaeum equitans: Difference between revisions

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==Description and significance==
==Description and significance==


appearance, habitat, etcWhy is it important for it to have its genome sequenced? How and where was it isolated? Find pictures if you can.
''Nanoarchaeum equitans'', which means "riding the fire sphere", is a hyperthermophile that also acts as an obligate symbiont to the archaea ''Ignicoccus hospitalis''It is spherical and is only 400 nm in diameter, making it one of the smallest known living organisms.  It is also the only known archaeal parasite.
 
It was first discovered in 2002 in an undersea hydrothermal vent off the coast of Iceland by Karl Stetter.  it was first seen as tiny dots on the surface of ''Ignicoccus hospitalis''.  Its genome is extremely small, making it one of the smallest non-viral genomes ever sequenced. The significance of its genome was that ss rRNA-based sequencing comparisons placed its branching point early in the archaeal lineage, representing the new archaeal kingdom Nanoarchaeota.  As such, it is the only known member of this lineage.


==Genome structure==
==Genome structure==

Revision as of 22:44, 28 August 2007

A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Nanoarchaeum equitans

Classification

Higher order taxa

Archaea; Nanoarchaeota; Nanoarchaeum

Species

Nanoarchaeum equitans

Description and significance

Nanoarchaeum equitans, which means "riding the fire sphere", is a hyperthermophile that also acts as an obligate symbiont to the archaea Ignicoccus hospitalis. It is spherical and is only 400 nm in diameter, making it one of the smallest known living organisms. It is also the only known archaeal parasite.

It was first discovered in 2002 in an undersea hydrothermal vent off the coast of Iceland by Karl Stetter. it was first seen as tiny dots on the surface of Ignicoccus hospitalis. Its genome is extremely small, making it one of the smallest non-viral genomes ever sequenced. The significance of its genome was that ss rRNA-based sequencing comparisons placed its branching point early in the archaeal lineage, representing the new archaeal kingdom Nanoarchaeota. As such, it is the only known member of this lineage.

Genome structure

Size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? other interesting features? What is known about its sequence? Plasmids?

Cell structure and metabolism

Interesting features and/or cell structures. How it gains energy. Important molecules it produces.

Ecology

Interactions with other organisms, contributions to the environment, effect on the environment.

Pathology

Does this organism cause disease? Does it have a host? Virulence factors as well as patient symptoms.

Application to Biotechnology

Does this organism produce any useful compounds or enzymes? What are they and how are they used?


Current Research

Summaries of recent research here. At least 3 required.


References

Edited by Robert Rishwain, student of Rachel Larsen and Kit Pogliano