Staphylothermus marinus sp. nov. Represents a Novel Genus of Extremely Thermophilic Submarine Heterotrophic Archaebacteria Growing up to 98 °C

Summary Two isolates of a new type of extremely thermophilic S 0 -dependent archaebacteria with a GC-content of 35 mol% have been obtained from geothermally heated sediments at the beach of Vulcano, Italy, and from a submarine hydrothermal vent at the East Pacific Rise. The organisms are strictly anaerobic heterotrophic immotile cocci, about 0.5 to 1 μm in diameter, occurring singly, in short chains and, characteristically, in large clusters of up to 100 cells. Giant cells up to 15 μm in diameter are formed at high yeast extract concentrations. Acetate, isovalerate, CO 2 and H 2 S were found as metabolic products. The isolates grow between 1 and 3.5% NaCl and pH 4.5 to 8.5. The optimal growth temperature is 92 or 85 °C, depending upon nutrition. The two isolates are considered to represent a new genus named Staphylothermus with the type species Staphylothermus marinus .

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