title: Thermosyntropha lipolytica gen. nov., sp. nov., a lipolytic, anaerobic, alkalitolerant, thermophilic bacterium utilizing short- and long-chain fatty acids in syntrophic coculture with a methanogenic archaeum.
abstract: Three strains of an anaerobic thermophilic organoheterotrophic lipolytic alkalitolerant bacterium, Thermosyntropha lipolytica gen. nov., sp. nov. (type strain JW/VS-265T; DSM 11003), were isolated from alkaline hot springs of Lake Bogoria (Kenya). The cells were nonmotile, non-spore forming, straight or slightly curved rods. At 60 degrees C the pH range for growth determined at 25 degrees C [pH25 degrees C] was 7.15 to 9.5, with an optimum between 8.1 and 8.9 (pH60 degrees C of 7.6 and 8.1). At a pH25 degrees C of 8.5 the temperature range for growth was from 52 to 70 degrees C, with an optimum between 60 and 66 degrees C. The shortest doubling time was around 1 h. In pure culture the bacterium grew in a mineral base medium supplemented with yeast extract, tryptone, Casamino Acids, betaine, and crotonate as carbon sources, producing acetate as a major product and constitutively a lipase. During growth in the presence of olive oil, free long-chain fatty acids were accumulated in the medium but the pure culture could not utilize olive oil, triacylglycerols, short- and long-chain fatty acids, and glycerol for growth. In syntrophic coculture (Methanobacterium strain JW/VS-M29) the lipolytic bacteria grew on triacylglycerols and linear saturated and unsaturated fatty acids with 4 to 18 carbon atoms, but glycerol was not utilized. Fatty acids with even numbers of carbon atoms were degraded to acetate and methane, while from odd-numbered fatty acids 1 mol of propionate per mol of fatty acid was additionally formed. 16S rDNA sequence analysis identified Syntrophospora and Syntrophomonas spp. as closest phylogenetic neighbors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2605, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Svetlitshnyi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rainey
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiegel
mesh_terms: D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000378:metabolism*; D001482:Base Composition; D001483:Base Sequence; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D017014:Methanobacterium / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile