Complete genome sequence of the thermophilic sulfur-reducer Desulfurobacterium thermolithotrophum type strain (BSAT) from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent

Markus Göker, Hajnalka Daligault, Romano Mwirichia, Alla Lapidus, Susan Lucas, Shweta Deshpande, Ioanna Pagani, Roxanne Tapia, Jan-Fang Cheng, Lynne Goodwin, Sam Pitluck, Konstantinos Liolios, Natalia Ivanova, Konstantinos Mavromatis, Natalia Mikhailova, Amrita Pati, Amy Chen, Krishna Palaniappan, Cliff Han, Miriam Land, Loren Hauser, Chongle Pan, Evelyne-Marie Brambilla, Manfred Rohde, Stefan Spring, Johannes Sikorski, Reinhard Wirth, John C. Detter, Tanja Woyke, James Bristow, Jonathan A. Eisen, Victor Markowitz, Philip Hugenholtz, Nikos C. Kyrpides, Hans-Peter Klenk

Desulfurobacterium thermolithotrophum L'Haridon et al. 1998 is the type species of the genus Desulfurobacterium which belongs to the family Desulfurobacteriaceae. The species is of interest because it represents the first thermophilic bacterium that can act as a primary producer in the temperature range of 45-75 °C (optimum 70°C) and is incapable of growing under microaerophilic conditions. Strain BSA(T) preferentially synthesizes high-melting-point fatty acids (C(18) and C(20)) which is hypothesized to be a strategy to ensure the functionality of the membrane at high growth temperatures. This is the second completed genome sequence of a member of the family Desulfurobacteriaceae and the first sequence from the genus Desulfurobacterium. The 1,541,968 bp long genome harbors 1,543 protein-coding and 51 RNA genes and is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.