Sulfolobus

Sulfolobus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Archaea
Phylum:	Crenarchaeota
Class:	Thermoprotei
Order:	Sulfolobales
Family:	Sulfolobaceae
Genus:	Sulfolobus
Species
	S. acidocaldarius; S. islandicus; S. metallicus; S. neozealandicus; S. solfataricus; S. shibatae; S. tengchongensis; S. thuringiensis; S. tokodaii; S. yangmingensis;

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. Like all Crenarchaeota they are dependent on sulfur. Heterotrophic or autotrophic, their energy comes from the oxidation of sulfur and/or cellular respiration in which sulfur acts as the final electron acceptor.

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 can be found throughout the world in areas of volcanic or geothermal activity, such as geological formations called mud pots, which are also known as solfatara (plural of solfatare).

Sulfolobus is a Host

Lysogenic viruses infect Sulfolobus for protection. The viruses cannot survive in the extremely acidic and hot conditions that Sulfolobus lives in, and so the viruses use Sulfolobus as protection against the harsh elements. This relationship allows the virus to replicate inside of the Sulfolobus bacteria without being destroyed by the environment.