MCB 150 Lecture Hand-out# 5:

ARCHAEA

General features:
- morphologically similar to the bacteria
- cell walls do not contain peptidoglycan
- with ether-linked membrane lipids

Ecology : found in extreme environments

Phylogenetic Groups:
1. Crenarchaeota
- inhabit extreme temp; hyperthermophiles
- sulfur-metabolizing hyperthermophiles
- found in geothermally heated soils or waters, hydrothermal vents
Representative Genera:
Thermoproteus and relatives
- extreme thermophiles from terrestrial volcanic habitats
- strict anaerobes
- anaerobic respiration using S0 as terminal e- acceptor and either H2 or organic
compounds as energy source

Sulfolobus
- opt temp of 90C, pH range from 1 to 5
- aerobic, oxidize S0 or sulfide when growing autotrophically
 Acidianus
- capable of aerobic respiration (S0 as e donor, O2 as e acceptor), anaerobic respiration
(H2 as e donor, S0 as e acceptor)

Pyrodictium
- opt temp of 105C
- strict anaerobe
- chemolithotroph (H2 as E source and S0 as electron acceptor)
- chemoorganotrophs on mixture of organic compounds
- grow in mycelium-like layer attached to crystals of S0

Pyrolobus
- opt temp of 106C, max ~113C
- obligate chemolithotroph (H2 as E source and thiosulfate, NO3- or very little O2 as
electron acceptor)
- can grow autotrophically

2. Thaumarchaeota
- marine Crenarchaeotes
Representative organism:
Nitrosopumilus maritimus
- autotroph
- NH3 as electron donor, converting to NO2
- adapted to life in nutrient-poor envt (open water)

2. Euryarchaeota
- diverse collection of lineages
- members obligately aerobic to obligately anaerobic
- with three subgroups

a. Sulfur-metabolizing group
- members are thermophilic
Representative Genera: Archaeoglobus, Thermoplasma

b. Methanogens
- obligate lithotrophs
- extreme anaerobes
- found in all types of anaerobic environments
Major Groups:
1. Methanobacterium and relatives
- with pseudomurein in their cell wall
- use H2 + CO2, sometimes CO and/or formate

2. Methanococcus and relatives

- complete prototrophs
- grow only on H2 + CO2, sometimes CO and/or formate
 3. Methanomicrobium and relatives
- come in various shapes
- require acetate for growth
- use H2 + CO2, sometimes CO and/or formate

4. Methanosarcina and relatives

- use methylated substrates to form CH4

5. Methanopyrus
- hyperthermophile

3. Korarchaeota hyperthermophile

4. Nanoarchaeota parasitic archaea

- occur singly, in pairs or up to 10 or more cells per host (Ingicoccus)
- hyperthermophilic