The family acidilobaceae

Abstract

The family Acidilobaceae belongs to the archaeal phylum Crenarchaeota (order Acidilobales) and at present contains only one genus, Acidilobus. Organisms of this genus have coccoid cells, with or without flagellation. They inhabit terrestrial acidic hot springs and have their temperature and pH optima of growth at 81-92 oC and 3.0-3.8, respectively, thus being hyperthermophiles and acidophiles. All known representatives of Acidilobaceae are obligate anaerobes growing on peptides, polysaccharides, and sugars, with or without elemental sulfur as the electron acceptor. Acetate is the major growth product of Acidilobaceae, while molecular hydrogen has been never detected, which is in agreement with the absence of hydrogenase genes in the genome of Acidilobus saccharovorans. Analysis of microbial diversity in acidic hot springs of Kamchatka and Yellowstone National Park showed that Acidilobaceae is a widespread group of prokaryotes abundant in these habitats.