Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans is a species of bacteria of the genus Sulfobacillus. It is an acidophilic, mixotrophic, moderately thermophilic, Gram-positive, sporulating facultative anaerobe. As its name suggests, it is capable of oxidizing sulfur.[2][3][4]
Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | |
Phylum: | |
Class: | |
Genus: | |
Species: | S. thermosulfidooxidans
|
Binomial name | |
Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans Golovacheva and Karavaiko 1991[1]
|
S. thermosulfidooxidans, as well as the genus Sulfobacillus, were first described in 1978 based on isolates from Kazakhstan.[5][1] S. thermosulfidooxidans is the type species of the genus.[1] The genus is of uncertain taxonomic position,[3][1] likely related to the genus Thermaerobacter and possibly representing either a deep branch of the Bacillota or a separate phylum.[3][6]
S. thermosulfidooxidans is widely distributed in both natural and artificial acidic environments, including hot springs and acid mine drainage. Strains have been isolated from a variety of locations including China,[7] Chile,[4] Kazakhstan,[5] California,[2] and Zambia.[7] Compared to other bacteria often found in similar environments, Sulfobacillus species are typically present at relatively low abundance.[2][7]
S. thermosulfidooxidans is acidophilic and moderately thermophilic; while different strains have slightly different pH and temperature growth optima, all prefer environments around pH 2.0 with optimal growth temperatures ranging from 45C to 55C.[5][8][3][4] S. thermosulfidooxidans is iron- and sulfur-oxidizing, capable of oxidation of elemental sulfur, tetrathionate, and sulfides.[2]
The genomes of several S. thermosulfidooxidans strains have been sequenced, demonstrating a genome size of 3.2-3.9 megabases, with a GC content of 48-49%[4][2][3][7] and a number of bioinformatically defined protein-coding genes ranging from a low of about 3200[3] to a high of about 3900.[2] All of the sequenced genomes contain large numbers of genes associated with sulfur oxidation; for example, genes encoding sulfur oxygenase reductase (SOR) and heterodisulfide reductase-like enzymes.[2][3][7] The genetic basis of the species' iron oxidation capacity is less clear but likely involves a sulfocyanin protein.[2][3][7] The genome also contains large numbers of transport proteins, including those specialized for metal ion efflux, and several CRISPR/Cas systems.[3] There is evidence of horizontal gene transfer as a significant contributor to S. thermosulfidooxidans evolution, including an unexpected relationship between a SOR gene and similar genes found only in archaea.[2][3][7]