Aquifex aeolicus
Encyclopedia
Aquifex aeolicus is a rod-shaped prokaryote
with a length of 2 to 6 micrometer
s and a diameter of around half a micrometer. It is one of a handful of species in the Aquificae
phylum, an unusual group of thermophilic bacteria that are thought to be some of the oldest species of bacteria
.
A. aeolicus grows best in water between 85 to 95 °C, and can be found near underwater volcano
es or hot spring
s. It requires oxygen
to survive (though it can grow in levels of oxygen as low as 7.5 ppm), and its method of respiration
produces water as a byproduct. ("Aquifex" means "water-maker.") Members of the species tend to form large cell conglomerations, of up to 100 individual cells. It was discovered around islands north of Sicily
.
The genome
of A. aeolicus has been successfully mapped. This was made easier by the fact that the length of the genome is only about a third of the length of the genome for E. coli. Comparison of the Aquifex aeolicus genome to other organisms showed that around 16% of its genes originated from the Archaea
domain. It has the smallest genome of any known non-parasite. Its total genome is 1.5 Mb long and contains 1512 genes.
The "A. aeolicus" is also known as one of the few bacterial species capable of doing gene silencing.
Prokaryote
The prokaryotes are a group of organisms that lack a cell nucleus , or any other membrane-bound organelles. The organisms that have a cell nucleus are called eukaryotes. Most prokaryotes are unicellular, but a few such as myxobacteria have multicellular stages in their life cycles...
with a length of 2 to 6 micrometer
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
s and a diameter of around half a micrometer. It is one of a handful of species in the Aquificae
Aquificae
The Aquificae phylum is a diverse collection of bacteria that live in harsh environmental settings. They have been found in hot springs, sulfur pools, and thermal ocean vents. Members of the genus Aquifex, for example, are productive in water between 85 to 95 °C. They are the dominant members of...
phylum, an unusual group of thermophilic bacteria that are thought to be some of the oldest species of bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
.
A. aeolicus grows best in water between 85 to 95 °C, and can be found near underwater volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es or hot spring
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
s. It requires oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
to survive (though it can grow in levels of oxygen as low as 7.5 ppm), and its method of respiration
Respiration (physiology)
'In physiology, respiration is defined as the transport of oxygen from the outside air to the cells within tissues, and the transport of carbon dioxide in the opposite direction...
produces water as a byproduct. ("Aquifex" means "water-maker.") Members of the species tend to form large cell conglomerations, of up to 100 individual cells. It was discovered around islands north of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
.
The genome
Genome
In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA. The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA....
of A. aeolicus has been successfully mapped. This was made easier by the fact that the length of the genome is only about a third of the length of the genome for E. coli. Comparison of the Aquifex aeolicus genome to other organisms showed that around 16% of its genes originated from the Archaea
Archaea
The Archaea are a group of single-celled microorganisms. A single individual or species from this domain is called an archaeon...
domain. It has the smallest genome of any known non-parasite. Its total genome is 1.5 Mb long and contains 1512 genes.
The "A. aeolicus" is also known as one of the few bacterial species capable of doing gene silencing.
External links and references
- Deckert, Gerard, et al. 1998. "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9537320" Nature, Vol. 392. Macmillan Publishers. 353-358.
- Aquifex aeolicus VF5 Genome Page
- "Aquifex gene silencing" gene silencing page