A polyphasic taxonomic study was performed on a novel facultatively anaerobic, hydrogen- or sulfur/thiosulfate-oxidizing, thermophilic chemolithoautotroph recently isolated from subsurface hot aquifer water in a Japanese gold mine. The cells were straight to slightly curved rods, with a single polar flagellum. Growth was observed at 40–70 °C (optimum 60–65 °C; 80 min doubling time) and at pH 6·4–8·8 (optimum pH 7·5). The isolate was unable to use complex organic compounds, carbohydrates, amino acids or organic acids as sole energy and carbon sources. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 31·3 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequences indicated that the isolate was closely related to an uncultivated group of micro-organisms within the order Aquificales obtained from Icelandic and Japanese hot spring microbial mats, but distantly related to previously identified genera of the Aquificales such as Persephonella, Aquifex and Hydrogenobacter. The name Sulfurihydrogenibium subterraneum gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed for this novel species; the type strain is HGMK1T (=JCM 11477T=ATCC BAA-562T=DSM 15120T).
AltschulS. F., MaddenT. L., SchafferA. A., ZhangJ., ZhangZ., MillerW., LipmanD. J.1997; Gapped blast and psi-blast: a new generation of protein database search programs. Nucleic Acids Res 25:3389–3402[CrossRef]
GillisM., VandammeP., De VosP., SwingsJ., KerstersK.2001; Polyphasic taxonomy. In Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology , 2nd edn. pp 43–48Edited byBooneD. R., CastenholzR. W., GarrityG. M. London: Springer;
HuberR., WilharmT., HuberD.7 other authors1992; Aquifex pyrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov. represents a novel group of marine hyperthermophilic hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria. Syst Appl Microbiol 15:340–351[CrossRef]
MarteinssonV. T., HauksdottirS., HobelC. F. V., KristmannsdottirH., HreggvidssonG. O., KristjanssonJ. K.2001; Phylogenetic diversity analysis of subterranean hot springs in Iceland. Appl Environ Microbiol 67:4242–4248[CrossRef]
ReysenbachA.-L., WickhamG. S., PaceN. R.1994; Phylogenetic analysis of the hyperthermophilic pink filament community in Octopus Spring. Yellowstone National Park. Appl Environ Microbiol 60:2113–2119
ReysenbachA.-L., EhringerM., HershbergerK.2000a; Microbial diversity at 83 °C in Calcite Springs, Yellowstone National Park: another environment where the Aquificales and ‘ Korarchaeota ’ coexist. Extremophiles 4:61–67
ReysenbachA.-L., LongneckerK., KirshteinJ.2000b; Novel bacterial and archaeal lineages from an in situ growth chamber deployed at a Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal vent. Appl Environ Microbiol 66:3798–3806[CrossRef]
SkirnisdottirS., HreggvidssonG. O., HjorleifsdottirS., MarteinssonV. T., PetursdottirS. K., HolstO., KristjanssonJ. K.2000; Influence of sulfide and temperature on species composition and community structure of hot spring microbial mats. Appl Environ Microbiol 66:2835–2841[CrossRef]
StöhrR., WaberskiA., VölkerH., TindallB. J., ThommM.2001; Hydrogenothermus marinus gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel thermophilic hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium, recognition of Calderobacterium hydrogenophilum as a member of the genus Hydrogenobacter and proposal of the reclassification of Hydrogenobacter acidophilus as Hydrogenobaculum acidophilum gen. nov., comb. nov., in the phylum ‘Hydrogenobacter / Aquifex ’. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 51:1853–1862[CrossRef]
TakacsC. D., EhringerM., FavreR., CermolaM., EggertssonG., PalsdottirA., ReysenbachA.-L.2001; Phylogenetic characterization of the blue filamentous bacterial community from an Icelandic geothermal spring. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 35:123–128[CrossRef]
TakaiK., HorikoshiK.2000; Thermosipho japonicus sp. nov., an extremely thermophilic bacterium isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent in Japan. Extremophiles 4:9–17[CrossRef]
TakaiK., KomatsuT., HorikoshiK.2001; Hydrogenobacter subterraneus sp. nov., an extremely thermophilic, heterotrophic bacterium unable to grow on hydrogen gas, from deep subsurface geothermal water. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 51:1425–1435
TakaiK., HirayamaH., SakihamaY., InagakiF., YamatoY., HorikoshiK.2002; Isolation and metabolic characteristics of previously uncultured members of the order Aquificales in a subsurface gold mine. Appl Environ Microbiol 68:3046–3054[CrossRef]
TamaokaJ., KomagataK.1984; Determination of DNA base composition by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. FEMS Microbiol Lett 25:125–128[CrossRef]
Van DoverC. L., HumphrisS. E., FornariD.24 other authors2001; Biogeography and ecological setting of Indian Ocean hydrothermal vents. Science 294:818–823[CrossRef]
YamamotoH., HiraishiA., KatoK., ChiuraH. X., MakiY., ShimizuA.1998; Phylogenetic evidence for the existence of novel thermophilic bacteria in hot spring sulfur-turf microbial mats in Japan. Appl Environ Microbiol 64:1680–1687