Phylogeny and biological features of thermophiles

Abstract

Thermophilic prokaryotes constitute a quite large group among the currently known prokaryotic species. At present, more than 220 genera and 580 species of the thermophiles have been isolated from various thermal and non-thermal environments and characterized. They are classified in more than 16 phyla of the two domains, Archaea and Bacteria. This chapter provides an overview of their phylogenetic relationships and their phenotypic features in the light of the current prokaryote systematics. Possible reasons for the phylogenetic diversity of the thermophiles in geothermal habitats are also discussed.