The family ferroplasmaceae

Abstract

The family Ferroplasmaceae (Golyshina et al. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 50:997-1006, 2000) is represented by cell wall-lacking, acidophilic, facultatively anaerobic, mesophilic or moderately thermophilic, and iron-metabolizing archaea. Phylogenetic relatives are members of families Thermoplasmaceae and Picrophilaceae. Presently, the family Ferroplasmaceae embraces the genera Ferroplasma and Acidiplasma. The genus Ferroplasma is monospecific considering only one member with a validly published name, Ferroplasma acidiphilum (Golyshina et al. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 50:997-1006, 2000); the genus Acidiplasma includes two species, named A. cupricumulans (Golyshina et al. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 59:2815-2823, 2009), initially described as Ferroplasma cupricumulans (Hawkes et al. Extremophiles 10:525-530, 2006, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 58:1-2, 2008), and A. Aeolicum (Golyshina et al. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 59:2815-2823, 2009). Members of the family exhibit some differences in their physiological and chemotaxonomic properties and populate acidic, iron/sulfidic environments worldwide.