title: Thermoanaerobacter sulfurigignens sp. nov., an anaerobic thermophilic bacterium that reduces 1 M thiosulfate to elemental sulfur and tolerates 90 mM sulfite.
abstract: Two anaerobic thermophilic bacteria, designated strains JW/SL824 and JW/SL-NZ826(T), were isolated from an acidic volcanic steam outlet on White Island, New Zealand. Cells were rod-shaped, spore-forming, motile and Gram-stain negative, but contained Gram-type positive cell wall. Strain JW/SL-NZ826(T) utilized various carbohydrates including xylose and glucose. The fermentation end products produced from glucose in the absence of thiosulfate were lactate, ethanol, acetate, CO(2) and H(2). The temperature range for growth was 34-72 degrees C, with an optimum at 63-67 degrees C. The pH(60 degrees C) range for growth was 4.0-8.0, with an optimum at 5.0-6.5. The doubling time of strain JW/SL-NZ826(T) under optimal growth conditions was 2.4 h. The DNA G+C content was 34-35 mol% (HPLC). The two strains reduced up to 1 M thiosulfate to elemental sulfur without sulfide formation, which is a trend typically observed among species belonging to the genus Thermoanaerobacterium. Sulfur globules containing short and long sulfur chains but no S(8)-ring sulfur were produced inside and outside the cells. Up to 90 mM sulfite was tolerated. This tolerance is assumed to be an adaptation to the geochemistry of the environment of White Island. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, however, indicated that the two strains belonged to the genus Thermoanaerobacter, with similarities in the range 95.6-92.7 %. Therefore, strains JW/SL-NZ824 and JW/SL-NZ826(T) represent a novel taxon, for which the name Thermoanaerobacter sulfurigignens sp. nov. is proposed, with strain JW/SL-NZ826(T) (=ATCC 700320(T)=DSM 17917(T)) as the type strain. Based on this and previous studies, an emended description of the genus Thermoanaerobacter is given.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Yong-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dashti
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD), Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, USA.|Hochschule Niederrhein, FB Oecotrophologie, 41065 Mönchengladbach, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prange
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
authors.forename: Fred A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Rainey
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbial Pathogenicity, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Inhoffenstrasse 7, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Whitman
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiegel
mesh_terms: D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005285:Fermentation; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009520:New Zealand; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013447:Sulfites / Q000378:metabolism*; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism; D013696:Temperature; D046968:Thermoanaerobacter / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D013885:Thiosulfates / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D013447:Sulfites; D013885:Thiosulfates; D013455:Sulfur; D005947:Glucose