title: Tetramitus thermacidophilus n. sp., an amoeboflagellate from acidic hot springs.
abstract: Tetramitus thermacidophilus n. sp. is a novel thermophilic and acidophilic amoeboflagellate isolated from acidic hot springs in the Caldera Uzon (Kamchatka, Russia) and in Pisciarelli Solfatara (Naples, Italy). We describe it based on physiological, morphological, and sequence data. It was grown in monoxenic culture on the archaeon Acidianus brierleyi as food. Tetramitus thermacidophilus multiplies in a pH range from 1.2 to 5 and in a temperature range from 28 °C to 54 °C. The shortest doubling time was 4.5 h at pH 3 at 45 °C. Its spindle-shaped biflagellated stage was only rarely found in culture. The amoeboid stage shows the typical locomotive form of vahlkampfiid amoebae. Sequence comparisons of the internal transcribed spacer sequences and the small subunit rRNA genes confirm that T. thermacidophilus is a novel species within the genus Tetramitus and that both isolates belong to that species.
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie, Universität Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eberhardt
authors.forename: Johan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: De Jonckheere
authors.forename: Karl O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Stetter
mesh_terms: D041541:Acidianus; D001483:Base Sequence; D004032:Diet; D017753:Ecosystem; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000469:parasitology*; D045482:Hot Springs / Q000469:parasitology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007558:Italy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012426:Russia; D016847:Schizopyrenida / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S