Pyrodictium
Pyrodictium is a genus in the family Pyrodictiaceae. It is a genus of submarine hyperthermophilic Archaea whose optimal growth temperature range is 80 to 105°C. They have a unique cell structure involving a network of cannulae and flat, disk-shaped cells. Pyrodictium are found in the porous walls of deep-sea vents where the temperatures inside get as high as 400°C, while the outside marine environment is typically 3°C. Pyrodictium is apparently able to adapt morphologically to this type of hot–cold habitat.
Pyrodictium | |
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Genus: | Pyrodictium Stetter, König & Stackebrandt 1984 |
Type species | |
Pyrodictium occultum Stetter, König & Stackebrandt 1984 | |
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Genome structure
Much research has been done on the genetics of Pyrodictium in order to understand its ability to survive and even thrive in such extreme temperatures. The thermal stability of Pyrodictum occultum's isolate tRNA has been analyzed, indicating that modifications in the nucleosides allow the organism to withstand temperatures well over 100°C.
Cell structure and metabolism
Pyrodictium cells have been studied by scientists in part because they are a model of thermal stability. The cells' structure is a flat, irregular disk, 300 to 2500 nanometres in diameter and up to 300 nanometres in width. The cells grow in unique flake-like shapes held together by a network of hollow cannulae (tubules). The cannulae branch out and connect with other cells, greatly extending their range. While the exact reason for this morphology is unknown, it is likely that the range of motion provided by the cannulae allow the cells to move freely when by the thermal energy from the extreme heat of the organisms's environment. The large size range of the cells may allow Pyrodictium to inhabit a variety of pores in the deep-sea vent walls.
Ecology
Members of Pyrodictium are located in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, first discovered in 1979. Their ecological significance remains a mystery because of the difficulty in collecting samples which may yield data on the abundance and diversity of these extremophile.[1]
Phylogeny
The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN)[2] and National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).[3]
16S rRNA based LTP_12_2021.[4][5][6] | 53 marker proteins based GTDB 07-RS207[7][8][9] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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References
- See the NCBI webpage on Pyrodictium. Data extracted from the "NCBI taxonomy resources". National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- J.P. Euzéby. "Pyrodictiaceae". List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN). Archived from the original on 2013-01-27. Retrieved 2011-11-17.
- Sayers; et al. "Pyrodictiaceae". National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) taxonomy database. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
- "The LTP". Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- "LTP_all tree in newick format". Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- "LTP_12_2021 Release Notes" (PDF). Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- "GTDB release 07-RS207". Genome Taxonomy Database. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
- "ar53_r207.sp_label". Genome Taxonomy Database. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
- "Taxon History". Genome Taxonomy Database. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
Further reading
Scientific journals
- Goodsell DS, Haas D (July 2014). "Visualising microorganisms from molecules to cells". FEMS Microbiology Letters. 356 (1): 1–7. doi:10.1111/1574-6968.12485. PMID 25039917.
- Burggraf S, Huber H, Stetter KO (July 1997). "Reclassification of the crenarchael orders and families in accordance with 16S rRNA sequence data". International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology. 47 (3): 657–60. doi:10.1099/00207713-47-3-657. PMID 9226896.
- Stetter KO, König H, Stackebrandt E (1983). "Pyrodictium gen. nov., a New Genus of Submarine Disc-Shaped Sulphur Reducing Archaebacteria Growing Optimally at 105°C". Systematic and Applied Microbiology. 4 (4): 535–51. doi:10.1016/s0723-2020(83)80011-3. PMID 23194811.