We describe a new caldoactive bacterium, Dictyoglomus thermophilum, which was isolated from a slightly alkaline hot spring. This organism is a nonsporeforming, nonmotile, obligately anaerobic rod-shaped bacterium that stains gram negative and occurs singly, in pairs, in filaments, in bundles, and as spherical bodies. The cell surface structure is of the complex gram-negative type. Large spherical bodies are formed by associations of separate rods in numbers ranging from a few to perhaps as many as 100; these spherical bodies are surrounded by common outer wall membrane. The temperature range for growth is between 50 and 80°C, with optimum growth at 78°C the pH range for growth is between 5.9 and 8.3. The doubling time at 73° and pH 7.2 is about 2.5 h. Growth is inhibited by streptomycin, tetracycline, neomycin, chloramphenicol, vancomycin, tunicamycin, and sodium dodecyl sulfate. The deoxyribonucleic acid base composition is 29 mol% guanosine plus cytosine. The type strain is strain ATCC 35947.
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