Spirochaeta thermophila
| Spirochaeta thermophila | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Spirochaetes |
| Class: | Spirochaetes |
| Order: | Spirochaetales |
| Family: | Spirochaetaceae |
| Genus: | Spirochaeta |
| Species: | S. thermophila |
| Binomial name | |
|
Spirochaeta thermophila (Aksenova 1992) |
|
Spirochaeta thermophila is a fairly recently discovered free-living, anaerobic, spirochaete that seems to be the most thermophilic of the Spirochaetales order. The type species was discoved in 1992 in Kuril islands, Russia and described in Aksenova, et al. It has been isolated in the sediments and water columns of brackish aquatic habitats of various ponds, lakes, rivers, and oceans. This organism is identified as a new species based on its unique ability to degrade cellulose, xylan, and other α- and β-linked sugars and use them as the sole carbon source by encoding many glycoside hydrolases. It is presumed to secrete cellulases to break down plant-matter around it but there has been little work on the characterization of the enzymes responsible for this.
The original description depicts single, helical, .2-.25 μm by 16-50 μm Gram-negative cells. The temperature range for survival of Spirochaeta thermophila is between 40° and 73° C with an optimum range between 66° and 68 °C. The pH range for survival was measured from 5.9 to 7.7 with an optimum of 7.5. The G + C content measured was approximately 52% in the 1992 description but has been measured around 70% since that time. The original description also noted that organisms of the same species isolated from different environments could have different optimum temperatures, optimum pH for growth, and optimum saline concentrations; these would change based on the environment in which the organism is living.
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