Ignicoccus

Ignicoccus hospitalis equitans with attached Nanoarchaeum.

• Ignicoccus islandicus
• Ignicoccus pacificus
• Ignicoccus sp. KIN4I

Ignicoccus is a Archaeengattung that occurs in marine hydrothermal vents ( so-called black smokers ). It was in 2000 at Kolbeinseyrücken north of Iceland and the Pacific ( 9 ° 0 ' 0 " N, 104 ° 0' 0" W9 -104 ) discovered.

Cell structures

Ignicoccus has small coccoid cells with ~ 2 microns in diameter having a smooth surface, an outer membrane, and no S-layer. They have a cell wall structured as follows: a cytoplasmic membrane, a periplasmic space (20 to 400 nm, the membrane-bound vesicles containing ) and a ~ 10 nm thick outer membrane to those of the gram- negative bacteria is similar. This includes a plurality of irregular, solid particles packed with ~ 8 nm in diameter and 24 nm diameter pores which are in turn surrounded by small particles, having rings with 130 nm in diameter and gene clusters of up to eight of 12 nm particles, result.

Physiology

Ignicocci come in a temperature range of 70-98 ° C before, with an optimum at 90 ° C. They obtain their energy through the reduction of elemental sulfur to hydrogen sulfide, which they use hydrogen as an electron donor. They live in close communion with Nanoarchaeum equitans, which is not yet clear whether it is a parasitic or symbiotic relationship.

System

Based on the comparisons of the 16S rRNA genes provides Ignicoccus a new, early branching lineage within the Desulfurococcaceae dar. far, three species are known Ignicoccus islandicus, Ignicoccus pacificus and Ignicoccus sp. Master KIN4I (previously unnamed).