Sulfolobus
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S. acidocaldarius | |
Sulfolobus is a genus of the prokaryote domain of archaea.
Species of the genus sulfolobus grow in volcanic springs with optimum growth occurring at pH 2-3 and a temperature of 75-80 °C, making them acidophiles and thermophiles respectively. Their cells are irregularly shaped and flagellar, and the species' proteins are of interest for biotechnology and industrial use as they are highly thermostable. Intracellular proteins are not necessarily stable at low pH though, as Sulfolobus species maintain a significant pH gradient across the outer membrane.
S. tokodaii is known to oxidize hydrogen sulfide to sulfate intracellularly. The complete genomes have been sequenced for S. acidocaldarius DSM 639 (2,225,959 nucleotides), S. solfataricus P2 (2,992,245 nucleotides), and S. tokodaii str. 7 (2,694,756 nucleotides).
Sulfolobus species are generally named after the location from which they were first isolated, e.g. S. solfataricus was first isolated in the Solfatara (volcano). Other species are found throughout the world in geological formations called mud pots, which are also known as solfatara (plural of solfatare).
External links
The Microbial Biorealm at Kenyon College
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