''Thermococcus hydrothermalis'' is a
hyperthermophilic
A hyperthermophile is an organism that thrives in extremely hot environments—from 60 °C (140 °F) upwards. An optimal temperature for the existence of hyperthermophiles is often above 80 °C (176 °F). Hyperthermophiles are often within the doma ...
archaeon
Archaea ( ; singular archaeon ) is a domain of single-celled organisms. These microorganisms lack cell nuclei and are therefore prokaryotes. Archaea were initially classified as bacteria, receiving the name archaebacteria (in the Archaebact ...
. It is strictly anaerobic and coccus-shaped, and its cells range from 0.8 to 2.0
μm
The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...
in diameter, with type strain AL662
T.
It was isolated from a
hydrothermal vent
A hydrothermal vent is a fissure on the seabed from which geothermally heated water discharges. They are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart at mid-ocean ridges, ocean basins, and hotspot ...
in the
East Pacific Rise
The East Pacific Rise is a mid-ocean rise (termed an oceanic rise and not a mid-ocean ridge due to its higher rate of spreading that results in less elevation increase and more regular terrain), a divergent tectonic plate boundary located along ...
.
This species is notable for its α-
glucosidase
Glucosidases are the glycoside hydrolase enzymes categorized under the EC number 3.2.1.
Function
Alpha-glucosidases are enzymes involved in breaking down complex carbohydrates such as starch and glycogen into their monomers.
They catalyze t ...
, which functions optimally at a temperature of 110 °C.
References
Further reading
*
*Erra-Pujada, Marta, et al. "The type II pullulanase of Thermococcus hydrothermalis: molecular characterization of the gene and expression of the catalytic domain." Journal of Bacteriology 181.10 (1999): 3284–3287.
*Postec, Anne, et al. "Optimisation of growth conditions for continuous culture of the hyperthermophilic archaeon'' Thermococcus hydrothermalis'' and development of sulphur-free defined and minimal media." Research in microbiology 156.1 (2005): 82–87.
*
External links
*
LPSN
Archaea described in 1997
Euryarchaeota
{{Euryarchaeota-stub