''Haloplasma contractile'' is a

halophilic The halophiles, named after the Greek word for "salt-loving", are extremophiles that thrive in high salt concentrations. While most halophiles are classified into the domain Archaea, there are also bacterial halophiles and some eukaryotic species, ...

, cell wall-less

bacterium Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were amon ...

. It is the only known representative of a deep lineage, and is classified in its own family (Haloplasmataceae) and order (Haloplasmatales), in the class

Mollicutes Mollicutes is a class of bacteria distinguished by the absence of a cell wall. The word "Mollicutes" is derived from the Latin ''mollis'' (meaning "soft" or "pliable"), and ''cutis'' (meaning "skin"). Individuals are very small, typically only 0. ...

. In terms of genetics, the bacterium Haloplasma contractile contains a dcw gene cluster is responsible for containing all the genes of the organism and promoting peptidoglycan synthesis. Also, MreB/Mbl are specific homologous parts of this bacterium that are vital in the contractility of the cell. In regards to its physical attributes, this organism consists of a spherical body with approximately two protrusions which alternate between straight and contracted forms.

References

3. Antunes, A., et al. “A New Lineage of Halophilic, Wall-Less, Contractile Bacteria from a Brine-Filled Deep of the Red Sea.” Journal of Bacteriology, vol. 190, no. 10, July 2008, pp. 3580–3587., doi:10.1128/jb.01860-07. 4. Antunes, A., et al. “Genome Sequence of Haloplasma Contractile, an Unusual Contractile Bacterium from a Deep-Sea Anoxic Brine Lake.” Journal of Bacteriology, vol. 193, no. 17, 2011, pp. 4551–4552., doi:10.1128/jb.05461-11.

External links

Type strain of ''Haloplasma contractile'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
Mollicutes Monotypic bacteria genera {{mollicutes-stub