Question

Idiomarina Loihiensis. (If you cannot find too much for the species then look at the genus).

              a.           Offer a brief description of where it is found in nature, what it looks like, if it is Gram positive or             negative (if known), how it is classified nutritionally (e.g. chemoautotroph)

              b.           Explain how it obtains energy and generates ATP (include the reducing agent(s) and end products).

c.           How was it so named? (Attempt both genus and species name: consider where it was found, unique morphological or metabolic features, name of the person who discovered it, etc.)

d.           Anything else you find interesting, e.g. unique components of cell membrane, extracellular secretions, enzyme structure that allows it to function in extreme environments and other.

             

Answer 1

Brief description:

• Idiomarina Loihiensis is a Gram -negative, rod shaped bacteria found in deep sea.
• It is driven by single polar or subpolar flagellum. It was first discovered from the hydrothermal vents, 35 km off the Hawai coast. Lo'ihi Seamoun is the primary place where this bacteria lives.
• The cell of this bacteria is 0.35µm wide and 0.7-1.8µm in length. The optimum growth temparature varies between 4-46º C.
• Its 16S rRNA genes is similar to I. abyssalis.
• Idiomarina Loihiensis uses multiple sources for gaining energy. It is a chemoautotroph.

Energy and ATP generation:

It does not have a PEP dependent phosphotranferase system. But it encodes enzyme for glycolysis and citric acid cycle with glyoxylate bypass. Apart from this, transketolase, ribose 5-phosphate isomerase , ribulose-5-phosphate-3-epimerase are also encoded by this bacteria helps in nucleotide biosynthesis , several co factors and there by amino acid and energy.

Naming:

The family Idiomarinaceae, class Gammaproteobacteria was named by Ivanova et al. (2004). It was named according to the phylogenetic similarity of marine Alteromonaslike bacteria. This family previously consisted of  Idiomarina and Pseudidiomarina genera proposed by Ivanova et al. (2000) and Jean et al. (2006). Now these two genera has been combined.

It lives in harsh environment which inclues high temparature and pressure.

Their deep sea environment allowed them to have several modification in adaptation including flexible sensory and their ability use nitrogen from ammonia and nitrate. All these adaption helps them survive in temperature, pressure and oxygen of the surrounding.  

Special Feature:

Fatty acid:  I. loihiensis has a unique fatty acid composition which includes high amount of saturated fat unlike others. It encodes enzymes required for fatty acid synthesis and cell membrane formation. It also make exopolysaccharides which is used to produce biofilms for sustaining in deep sea environment.