SULFUROCOCCUS-YELLOWSTONII SP-NOV, A NEW SPECIES OF IRON-OXIDIZING AND SULFUR-OXIDIZING THERMOACIDOPHILIC ARCHAEBACTERIA

A sphere-shaped thermoacidophilic archaebacterium capable of oxidizing Fe2+, S-0, and sulfide minerals was isolated from hydrotherm in the Y ellowstone National Park. The isolate was facultatively autotrophic an d could use some organic compounds in addition to inorganic substrates . It could grow within the temperature range of 40 - 80 degrees C. The DNA GC content was 44.6 mole%. The DNA homology level was 12 - 15% be tween strain Str6kar and Sulfurococcus mirabilis and 0.7%, between Str 6kar and Metallosphaera sedula. By the 5S rRNA structure, strain Str6k ar was close to S. mirabilis. Based on morphological and physiological properties and data of molecular genetics, the new archaebacterium wa s assigned to a new species of the genus Sulfurococcus, S. yellowstoni i sp. nov.