Thermosulfurimonas marina sp. nov., an Autotrophic Sulfur-Disproportionating and Nitrate-Reducing Bacterium Isolated from a Shallow-Sea Hydrothermal Vent

Abstract

A thermophilic, anaerobic, chemolithoautotrophic bacterium (strain SU872T) was isolated from a shallow-sea hydrothermal vent at Kunashir Island. The cells were motile, gram-negative, oval or rodshaped 0.5‒0.6 μm thick and 1.5‒2.0 μm long, occurring singly or in pairs. Strain SU872T grew at 50 to 79°C (optimum at 74°C), pH from 5.0 to 8.0 (optimum at 6.7‒7.0), and NaCl concentration of 1.5–4.5%. Strain SU872T was able to grow by disproportionation of elemental sulfur, thiosulfate, or sulfite, with CO2/HCO3− as the sole carbon source. Growth was enhanced in the presence of ferrihydrite (poorly crystalline Fe(III) oxide) as as a sulfide-scavenging agent. Sulfate was not used as an electron acceptor. Growth also occurred with elemental sulfur, thiosulfate, or sulfite (but not sulfide) as electron donors and nitrate as an electron acceptor, with production of sulfate and ammonium. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed 97.8% similarity between strain SU872T and the type strain Thermosulfurimonas dismutans S95T (phylum Thermodesulfobacteria). According to the results of DNA–DNA hybridization, the similarity of genomic DNA of the strains SU872T and T. dismutans S95T was 48%. Based on its phenotypic characteristics and the results of phylogenetic analysis, it is proposed to assign the isolate to a new species of the genus Thermosulfurimonas,—Thermosulfurimonas marina sp. nov., with the type strain SU872T (=DSM 104922T, =VKM B-3177T, =UNIQEM SU872T).