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Biochemical and phylogenetic characterization of a novel terrestrial hyperthermophilic archaeon pertaining to the genus Pyrococcus from an Algerian hydrothermal hot spring

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Abstract

A hyperthermophilic anaerobic archeon, strain HT3, was isolated from hydrothermal hot spring in Northeast Algeria. The strain is a regular coccus, highly motile, obligatory anaerobic, heterotrophic. It utilizes proteinaceous complex media (peptone, tryptone or yeast extract). Sulfur is reduced to Hydrogen sulfide and enhances growth. It shares with other Pyrococcus species the heterotrophic mode of nutrition, the hyperthermophily, the ability to utilize amino acids as sole carbon and nitrogen sources and the ether lipid composition. The optimal growth occurs at 80–85°C, pH 7.5 and 1.5% NaCl. The G + C content was 43 mol%. Considering its morphology, physiological properties, nutritional features and phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, this strain is described as a new terrestrial isolate pertaining to the genus Pyrococcus.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mrs Copinet E. (Université de Reims Champagne Ardennes, UFR sciences, Reims, France) for her support. MK thanks the IFREMER team of L.M.B, centre de Brest, Plouzané, France; for his training term. The authors thank Mr. and Mrs. Bliard for the english corrections. This work was supported by Algerian Research Ministry and Université de Reims Champagne Ardennes, France.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Microbiologie Industrielle, URCA Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Moulin de la Housse, BP 1039, 51687, Reims Cedex 02, France

    Mouloud Kecha & Francis Duchiron

  2. Laboratoire de Microbiologie Appliquée/Biochimie Microbienne, Université A. Mira, Route de Targa-Uzemur, 06000, Bejaia, Algeria

    Mouloud Kecha & Said Benallaoua

  3. INRA, UMR FARE, 8 rue Gabriel-Voisin, BP 316, 51688, Reims Cedex 02, France

    Jean Pierre Touzel

  4. Laboratoire de Chimie Physique et Microbiologie pour l’Environnement (LCPME)-UMR. 7564 CNRS-UHP, Université Henry Poincaré, Nancy I, 405, Rue de Vandoeuvre, 54600, Villers-lès-Nancy, France

    Roger Bonaly

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  1. Mouloud Kecha
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  2. Said Benallaoua
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  3. Jean Pierre Touzel
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Correspondence to Mouloud Kecha.

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Communicated by J. Wiegel

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Kecha, M., Benallaoua, S., Touzel, J.P. et al. Biochemical and phylogenetic characterization of a novel terrestrial hyperthermophilic archaeon pertaining to the genus Pyrococcus from an Algerian hydrothermal hot spring. Extremophiles 11, 65–73 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-006-0010-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-006-0010-9

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