ALYANNA MARIE R.

LUMANGLAS january 30, 2018

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ALYANNA MARIE R. LUMANGLAS january 30, 2018
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ALYANNA MARIE R. LUMANGLAS january 30, 2018
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1. Ferroplasma acidiphilum

Kingdom: Archaebacteria Family: Ferroplasma

Phylum: Euryarchaeota Genus: Ferroplasma

Class: Thermoplasmata Species: acidophylum

Order: Thermoplasmatales

Ferroplasma acidiphilum is a species of an iron-oxidizing, acidophilic,

chemolithoautotrophic archaea. It is non-motile as it lacks flagella [1].It lives in a metal-heavy
environment containing high levels of iron and sulfur at a very acidic pH. It has been categorized
as an extremophile as it grows optimally at a pH of 1.7. It was first isolated from a bioreactor
pilot plant in Tula, Russia [1]. The bioreactor was used to leach gold from pyrite-ore, a chemical
reaction that F. acidiphilum plays a role in. It is part of the order Thermoplasmata that contains
other acidophilic genera including Picrophilus and Thermoplasma. F. acidiphilum and its sister
species F. acidarmanus play a large role in geochemical cycling of iron and sulfur in very acidic,
metal-heavy habitats both natural and man-made [1]. It has been found that some of its
intracellular enzymes function optimally at pH levels as low as 1.7, much lower than what the
actual cytoplasmic pH level of 5.6 [2]. Another recent discovery has found that F. acidiphilum is
dominated by iron-centered proteins with the iron suspected to act as 'iron rivets' (detailed under
Metabolism section). While the low pH cytoplasm and the iron supported protein structures
could be the potential reason for its low pH tolerance, these discoveries have led to research
aimed at determining how this "pH anomaly" exists and whether the 'iron rivet' protein is an
ancient mechanisms possibly evolved in early earth life [3].

2. Bacillus alcalophilus

Kingdom: Eubacteria Family: Bacillaceae

Phylum: Firmicutes Genus: Bacillus

Class: Bacilli Species: alcalophilus

Order: Bacillales

Like all members of the genus Bacillus, B. subtilis is a rod-shaped bacterium that
typically forms small clumps, short chains, or single cells. It has a cell wall that is made of a
complex molecule called peptidoglycan, which is made of long chains of glucose linked together
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by amino acids. Peptidoglycan surrounds the cell membrane and gives the bacterial cell shape
and structure.

Bacteria can be differentiated by the thickness of the peptidoglycan layer using a

specialized stain called a Gram stain. Using the Gram stain procedure, the cells of B. subtilis
would appear purple because they have a thick layer of peptidoglycan in their cell wall. Cells
with a thick peptidoglycan layer are called Gram-positive.

Like all bacteria, B. subtilis has a single circular chromosome that is located in the
nucleoid region of the cytoplasm. Even though B. subtilis doesn't cause an interesting disease
like anthrax, its chromosome does contain genes that produce useful antibiotics and compounds
that can be used in bioremediation, which is a process that uses microorganisms to clean up the
environment.

Racing is one thing at which B. subtilis can beat its anthrax-causing cousin. B. anthracis
is non-motile, while B subtilis is very motile. Most bacteria that can move, including B. subtilis,
use flagella, which are long, whip-like tails. B. subtilis has peritrichous flagella, meaning the cell
is covered in little tails. These flagella tails are observable with a light microscope using a
specialized stain.

B subtilis forms endospores, which are tough, dormant structures produced by some
bacteria in a process called sporulation. Endospores are resistant to heat, drying, radiation,
freezing, disinfectants, and other conditions that would normally destroy bacteria. When
conditions are bad, the bacteria will store the chromosome in the core of the endospore, allowing
it to survive until conditions are favorable.

3. Chlorobium limicola

Kingdom: Eubacteria Family: Chlorobiaceae

Phylum: Chlorobi Genus: Chlorobium

Class: Chlorobia Species: limicola

Order: Chlorobiales

Chlorobium tepidum is a thermophilic green sulfer bacteria originally isolated from a

New Zealand hot spring. This type of bacterium has special light-harvesting complexes called
chlorosomes that contain bacteriochlorophylls and carotenoids. Chlorobium grows in dense mats
over hot springs as well as in other warm muds and bodies of water that contain sufficient
hydrogen sulfide (used by C. tepidum as an elecron donor). C. tepidum is a valuable model for
the green sulfur bacteria because it is easily cultivated and naturally transformable.