In taxonomy, Thermoplasma is a genus of the Thermoplasmataceae.[1]
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Genus: | Thermoplasma Darland et al. 1970
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Thermoplasma acidophilum Darland et al. 1970
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Thermoplasma is a genus of archaea. It belongs to the Thermoplasmata, which thrive in acidic and high-temperature environments. Thermoplasma are facultative anaerobes and respire using sulfur and organic carbon. They do not contain a cell wall but instead contain a unique membrane composed mainly of a tetraether lipoglycan containing atypical archaeal tetraether lipid attached to a glucose- and mannose-containing oligosaccharide. This lipoglycan is presumably responsible for the acid and thermal stability of the Thermoplasma membrane.