Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CONTENTS
Introduction
Archaeal cell walls
Archaeal lipids & membranes
Genetics & molecular biology
Metabolism
Archaeal taxonomy
Significance of Archaebacteria
References
Introduction
Introduction to the
Archaea
Morphology
Physiology
Aerobic, facultative and strictly anaerobic
Range from chemolithotrophs to
organotrophs
Mesophilic & hyperthermophiles
Found in extreme environments
Few are symbionts in animal digestive system
Contd
Structure
Gram +ve Archaea
Single thick homogenous layer as in Gram
+ve bacteria
Chemistry
Gram +ve Archaea
Variety of complex polymers
Methanobacterium pseudomurein
Methanosarcina & Halococcus complex
polysaccharides similar to chondroitin
sulphate of animal connective tissue
Other heteropolysaccharides are also found
Contd
Contd
Contd
Contd
Metabolism
Contd
Contd
Archaeal Taxonomy
Phylum Crenarchaeota
Most are extremely thermophilic & many are
acidophiles and S dependent
S as electron acceptor or electron source
by lithotrophs
Almost all are strict anaerobes & grow in
geothermally heated water / soils that
contain elemental sulfur
Contd
Contd
Sulfolobus
Gram ve, aerobic, irregularly lobed spherical
archaeons
Optimum temp. 70 to 80 0C & optimum pH 2 - 3
hence also referred to as thermoacidophiles
Cell wall lipoprotein & CH, lacks peptidoglycan
Grow lithotrophically on S granules in hot S springs
oxidizing S to Sulfuric acid
Oxygen Is the normal electron acceptor, Fe +3 may
be used
Contd
Contd
Thermoproteus
Gram ve, strictly anaerobic, hyperthermophilic
long thin rod, can be bent or branched
Cell wall consists of glycoprotein
Grows at temp. from 70 - 97 0C & pH 2.5 6.5
Found in hot springs & other hot aquatic habitats
rich in sulfur
Can grow organotrophically & oxidize glucose,
amino acids, alcohols & organic acids with S as TEA
Contd
Thermoproteus
Contd
Phylum Euryarchaeota
Very diverse with 7 classes viz. Methanococcus,
Methanobacteria, Halobacteria, Thermoplasmata,
Thermococci, Archaeglobi & Methanopyri
Consists of 9 orders & 15 families
Includes methanogens, extreme halophiles,
sulphate reducers & many extreme thermophiles
with S dependent metabolism
Contd
The Methanogens
Strict anaerobes that obtain energy by converting
CO2, H2, formate, methanol, acetate & other
compounds to either CH4 or CH4 & CO2
Autotrophic when growing on CO2 & H2
5 orders (Methanobacteriales, Methanococcales,
Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinales &
Methanopyrales) & 26 genera
Metabolism is unusual
Unique cofactors like H4MPT, MFR, Coenzyme M
Coenzyme F420, Coenzyme F430
Coenzyme F420 carries electrons and Hydrogen
Coenzyme F430 cofactor for methyl co-M methyl reductase
Contd
Contd
Ecological significance
Cow belches 200 400 ltrs CH4/day
Source of energy for sewage treatment plants
Contd
Contd
Ecological hazards
Methane gas Greenhouse gas
Can oxidize Fe0
May contribute to corrosion of buried or submerged
iron pipes
M. thermoautotrophicum
Yellowstone NationalContd
Park
The Halobacteria
Class Halobacteria 15 genera in one family, the
Halobacteriaceae
Aerobic chemoheterotrophs with respiratory
metabolism
Non motile or motile by lophotrichous flagella
Absolutely dependent on high NaCl conc.
At least 1.5 M NaCl, growth optimum at 3 4 M
Cell wall disintegrates below 1.5 M conc.
Grow only in high salinity habitats
Contd
H. salinarium
Contd
The Thermoplasms
Class Thermoplasmata
Thermoacidophiles that lack cell wall
Two genera, Thermoplasma & Pichrophilus
Thermoplasma
Grows in refuse piles of coal mines
Temperatures from 55 590C & pH 1-2
Plasma membrane is strengthened by large
quantities of diglycerol, tetraethers,
lipopolysaccharides & glycolipids
DNA stabilized by nucleosomes
Contd
Contd
Picrophilus
Lacks cell wall , has S layer outside PM
Aerobic, irregularly shaped cocci, 1 1.5 m in
diameter
Temp. range 47 650C, optimum temp. 600C
pH below 3.5, optimum pH 0.7
Can grow at pH 0
Contd
Extremely Thermophilic S0
Metabolizers
Class Thermococci, order Thermococcales
Strictly anaerobic
Reduce sulfur to sulfide
Motile by flagella
Optimum growth temp. 88 1000C
Two genera, Thermococcus & Pyrococcus
Contd
Significance of
Archaea
References
Prescott, Lansing M.; Harley, John P. and Klein,
Donald A.,2003. Microbiology, 5th edition. McGraw
Hill
www.euarch.blogspot.com
www.filebox.vt.edu
www.nature.com/ntmicro/journal/v5/n4
www.fib_tab/nrmicro1619_F3.html
www.microbewiki.kenyon.edu/