[Sulfurococcus yellowstonii sp. nov/--a new species of iron- and sulfur-oxidizing thermoacidophilic Archaeobacterium].

A spheric thermoacidophilic sulphur-oxidizing archaebacterium (strain Str6kar) has been isolated from the hydrotherm of the Yellowstone National Park (USA). The isolate is a facultative autotroph. The strain Str6kar oxidizes elemental sulfur, ferrous sulfate and sulphide minerals, it is capable of using some organic compounds. The isolate grows at the temperature of 40-80 degrees. The content of GC-pairs in the DNA of the bacterium is 44.6 mol%. The level of homology of the isolates DNA for the Str6kar and Sulfurococcus mirabilis is 12-15%, for Str6kar and Metallosphaera sedula-0.7-7%. According to the structure of the 5s rRNA, the described bacteria are similar to S. mirabilis. Basing on morphological, physiological and molecular-genetical features, this archaeobacterium can be presented as a new species of the genus of Sulfurococcus-S. yellowstonii sp. nov.