THERMOTOGA HYPOGEA SP. NOV., A XYLANOLYTIC, THERMOPHILIC BACTERIUM FROM AN OIL-PRODUCING WELL

A new thermophilic, xylanolytic, strictly anaerobic, rod-shaped bacter ium, strain SEBR 7054(T), was isolated from an African oil-producing w ell. Based on the presence of an outer sheath (toga) and 16S rRNA sequ ence analysis data, this organism was identified as a member of the ge nus Thermotoga. Strain SEBR 7054(T) possessed lateral flagella, had a G+C content of 50 mol%, produced traces of ethanol from glucose but no lactate, and grew optimally in the presence of 0 to 0.2% NaCl at 70 d egrees C, Its phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics clearly diff ered from those reported for the five previously validly described The rmotoga species. Therefore, we propose that strain SEBR 7054(T) is a m ember of a new species of the genus Thermotoga, Thermotoga hypogea sp, nov. The type strain of T. hypogea is SEBR 7054 (= DSM 11164).