Pyrococcus
SuperSet Prokaryote, Archaea, Extremely Thermophilic Archaeobacteria
Compare Acidianus Desulfurococcus, Desulfurolobus ambivalens Hyperthermus butylicus , Metallosphaera sedula Pyrobaculum Pyrococcus, Pyrodictium Staphylothermus marinus Sulfolobus Thermococcus Thermodiscus maritimus Thermofilum, Thermoproteus
Contrast Methanogens
Cell Wall-Less Archaeobacteria
Sulfate Reducing Archaeobacteria
Halophilic Archaeobacteria
Extremely Thermophilic Archaeobacteria
Subset  

 

Morphology Pyrococcus
CELLULAR  
Staining Gram-negative
Morphology Cells slightly irregular cocci, 0.8-2.5 um in width, occurring singly or in pairs
Motility Monopolar polytrichous flagellated
Specialized structures  
Division Shortest doubling time about 37 min under optimal conditions..
COLONIAL  
Solid surface  
Liquid  

 

Growth Parameters Pyrococcus
PHYSIOLOGICAL  
Tropism Heterotrophic
Oxygen Strictly anaerobic
pH pH for growth; 5-9; optimum: about 7
Temperature 70-103`C; optimum: 100`C,
Requirements Optimum NaCl concentration: about 2%; maximum: 5%; minimum: 0.5%. growth on peptone, tryptone, yeast extract, meat extract, extracts of eubacteria and archaeobacteria, casein, starch, maltose and casamino acids
Products  
Enzymes  
Unique features . Isopranyl ether lipids present.

ADP-ribosylation of elongation factor 2 by diphtheria toxin.
ENVIRONMENTAL  
Habitat  
Lifestyle  
Pathogenicity  
Distribution  

 

Genome Pyrococcus
G+C Mol % 38
   

 

Reference Pyrococcus
First citation Fiala,G. and K.O. Stetter. 1986. Pyrococcus furiosus sp. Nov represents a novel genus of marine heterophilic archaebacteria growing optimally at 100oC Arch Microbiol 145: 56-61
The Prokaryotes  
Bergey's Systematatic p 2237 G. Fiala and K.O. Stetter
Bergey's Determinative p 752
References