Thermococcus eurythermalis sp. nov., a conditional piezophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon with a wide temperature range for growth, isolated from an oil-immersed chimney in the Guaymas Basin.

A conditional piezophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon showing growth over a wide range of temperature, pH and pressure was isolated from an oil-immersed hydrothermal chimney at a depth of 2006.9 m in the Guaymas Basin. Enrichment and isolation of strain A501(T) were performed at 80 °C at 0.1 MPa. Cells of isolate A501(T) were irregular motile cocci with a polar tuft of flagella and generally 0.6-2.6 µm in diameter. Growth was detected over the range 50-100 °C (optimal growth at 85 °C) at atmospheric pressure and was observed at 102 °C at a pressure of 10 MPa. At 85 °C, growth was observed at a pressure of 0.1-70 MPa (optimum pressure 0.1 MPa-30 MPa), while at 95 °C, the pressure allowing growth ranged from 0.1 MPa to 50 MPa (optimum pressure 10 MPa). Cells of strain A501(T) grew at pH 4-9 (optimum pH 7.0) and a NaCl concentration of 1.0-5.0 % (w/v) (optimum concentration 2.5 % NaCl). This isolate was an anaerobic chemo-organoheterotroph and was able to utilize yeast extract, peptone, tryptone and starch as the single carbon source for growth. Elemental sulfur and cysteine stimulated growth; however, these molecules were not necessary. The DNA G+C content of the complete genome was 53.47 mol%. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain A501(T) belongs to the genus Thermococcus. There was no significant similarity between strain A501(T) and the phylogenetically related species of the genus Thermococcus based on complete genome sequence alignments and calculation of the average nucleotide identity and the tetranucleotide signature frequency correlation coefficient. These results indicate that strain A501(T) represents a novel species, Thermococcus eurythermalis sp. nov. The type strain is A501(T) ( = CGMCC 7834(T) = JCM 30233(T)).