Thermus thermophilus

Thermus thermophilus is a Gram negative eubacterium used in a range of biotechnological applications, including as a model organism for genetic manipulation, structural genomics, and systems biology. The bacterium is extremely thermophilic, with an optimal growth temperature of about 65 °C (149 °F). Thermus thermophilus was originally isolated from a thermal vent within a hot spring in Izu, Japan by Tairo Oshima and Kazutomo Imahori.^[1] The organism has also been found to be important in the degradation of organic materials in the thermogenic phase of composting.^[2] T. thermophilus is classified into several strains, of which HB8 and HB27 are the most commonly used in laboratory environments. Genome analyses of these strains were independently completed in 2004.^[3]

Biotechnological applications of Thermus thermophilus enzymes

• rTth DNA polymerase is a recombinant thermostable DNA polymerase derived from Thermus thermophilus, with optimal activity at 70-80 °C, used in some PCR applications. The enzyme possesses efficient reverse transcriptase activity in the presence of manganese.

External links

• Thermus thermophilus HB27 genome page.
• Thermus thermophilus HB8 genome page.
• Structural-biological whole cell project of Thermus thermophilus HB8.
• Isolation of Thermus strains from hot composts (60ºC-80ºC)
• Whole Cell Project of Thermus thermophilus HB8: Database
• Type strain of Thermus thermophilus at BacDive - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase

References