Towards a congruent reclassification and nomenclature of the thermophilic species of the genus Pseudothermotoga within the order Thermotogales

G-quadruplex structures in 16S rRNA regions correlate with thermal adaptation in prokaryotes

G-quadruplex (G4) structure is a nucleic acid secondary structure formed by guanine-rich sequences, playing essential roles in various biological processes such as gene regulation and environmental stress adaptation. Although prokaryotes growing at high temperatures have higher GC contents, the pattern of G4 structure associated with GC content variation in thermal adaptation remains elusive. This study analyzed 681 bacterial genomes to explore the role of G4 structures in thermal adaptation. Our findings revealed a strong positive correlation between G4 patterns in the region encoding 16S rRNA genes and optimal growth temperatures (Topt), whereas genomic GC content and G4 patterns did not show significant correlations with Topt. Evolutionary analysis showed distinctive differences in G4 stability between Thermotoga (Topt ≥ 80°C) and Pseudothermotoga (60°C ≤ Topt < 80°C) species, with Thermotoga species exhibiting higher G4 stability, indicating stronger selective pressure for G4 structures. In vitro spectroscopy analysis showed that base mutations at key sites resulted in the absence of G4 structural stability and integrity in Thermotoga compared to Pseudothermotoga. Collectively, this study suggests that the G4 structures in 16S rRNA regions emerged as key indicators of thermal adaptation in prokaryotes and contributes to our understanding of the molecular basis of evolutionary adaptation.

Thermotogota diversity and distribution patterns revealed in Auka and JaichMaa 'ja 'ag hydrothermal vent fields in the Pescadero Basin, Gulf of California

Discovering new deep hydrothermal vent systems is one of the biggest challenges in ocean exploration. They are a unique window to elucidate the physical, geochemical, and biological processes that occur on the seafloor and are involved in the evolution of life on Earth. In this study, we present a molecular analysis of the microbial composition within the newly discovered hydrothermal vent field, JaichMaa 'ja 'ag, situated in the Southern Pescadero Basin within the Gulf of California. During the cruise expedition FK181031 in 2018, 33 sediment cores were collected from various sites within the Pescadero vent fields and processed for 16S rRNA amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) and geochemical analysis. Correlative analysis of the chemical composition of hydrothermal pore fluids and microbial abundances identified several sediment-associated phyla, including Thermotogota, that appear to be enriched in sediment horizons impacted by hydrothermal fluid flow. Comparative analysis of Thermotogota with the previously explored Auka hydrothermal vent field situated 2 km away displayed broad similarity between the two locations, although at finer scales (e.g., ASV level), there were notable differences that point to core-to-core and site-level factors revealing distinct patterns of distribution and abundance within these two sediment-hosted hydrothermal vent fields. These patterns are intricately linked to the specific physical and geochemical conditions defining each vent, illuminating the complexity of this unique deep ocean chemosynthetic ecosystem.

Adaptation Strategies to High Hydrostatic Pressures in Pseudothermotoga species Revealed by Transcriptional Analyses

Pseudothermotoga elfii strain DSM9442 and P. elfii subsp. lettingae strain DSM14385 are hyperthermophilic bacteria. P. elfii DSM9442 is a piezophile and was isolated from a depth of over 1600 m in an oil-producing well in Africa. P. elfii subsp. lettingae is piezotolerant and was isolated from a thermophilic bioreactor fed with methanol as the sole carbon and energy source. In this study, we analyzed both strains at the genomic and transcriptomic levels, paying particular attention to changes in response to pressure increases. Transcriptomic analyses revealed common traits of adaptation to increasing hydrostatic pressure in both strains, namely, variations in transport membrane or carbohydrate metabolism, as well as species-specific adaptations such as variations in amino acid metabolism and transport for the deep P. elfii DSM9442 strain. Notably, this work highlights the central role played by the amino acid aspartate as a key intermediate of the pressure adaptation mechanisms in the deep strain P. elfii DSM9442. Our comparative genomic and transcriptomic analysis revealed a gene cluster involved in lipid metabolism that is specific to the deep strain and that was differentially expressed at high hydrostatic pressures and might, thus, be a good candidate for a piezophilic gene marker in Pseudothermotogales.

Microbacterium paulum sp. nov., isolated from microfiltered milk

A novel Gram-stain-positive, strictly aerobic, short rod-shaped bacterium, designated 2C^T, was isolated from freshly packaged microfiltered milk. This strain was able to grow within the NaCl concentration range of 0-5 % (w/v), temperature range of 8-37 °C (optimally at 30 °C) and at pH 6.0-10.0. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 2C^T was closely related to species of the genus Microbacterium, with the highest sequence similarity (99.2 %) to Microbacterium lacticum DSM 20427^T as well as Microbacterium flavum DSM 18909^T (=YM18-098^T). The phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA genes showed that strain 2C^T clustered with M. flavum DSM 18909^T. However, the phylogenetic tree based on concatenated 16S rRNA and four housekeeping genes showed that strain 2C^T clustered with M. lacticum DSM 20427^T. Furthermore, the phylogenomic tree showed that strain 2C^T clustered with M. lacticum DSM 20427^T and M. flavum DSM 18909^T. The major respiratory quinones were MK-10, MK-11 and MK-12. The predominant cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C_15 : 0, iso-C_16 : 0 and anteiso-C_17 : 0. The polar lipid composition of strain 2C^T consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, three unidentified glycolipids and two unidentified lipids. The cell-wall peptidoglycan type was a variant of B1α {Gly} [l-Lys] d-Glu-l-Lys, with the amino acids lysine, glycine, alanine and glutamic acid. The whole-cell sugars consisted of galactose, glucose, ribose and minor amounts of rhamnose. In addition, strain 2C^T showed a glycolyl-type cell wall. The genomic DNA G+C content was 69.8mol%, while the average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values with the closely related Microbacterium species were below the recognized thresholds of 95-96 % ANI and 70 % DDH for species definition. Based on the phenotypic and genotypic data, strain 2C^T (=LMG 32277^T=CECT 30329^T) is considered to represent a new species, for which the name Microbacterium paulum sp. nov. is proposed.

Improvement of CO2 and Acetate Coupling into Lactic Acid by Genetic Manipulation of the Hyperthermophilic Bacterium Thermotoga neapolitana

Capnophilic lactic fermentation (CLF) represents an attractive biotechnological process for biohydrogen production and synthesis of L-lactic acid from acetate and CO₂. The present study focuses on a genetic manipulation approach of the Thermotoga neapolitana DSM33003 strain to enhance lactic acid synthesis by the heterologous expression of a thermostable acetyl-CoA synthetase that catalyses the irreversible acetate assimilation. Because of the scarcity of available genetic tools, each transformation step was optimized for T. neapolitana DSM33003 to cope with the specific needs of the host strain. Batch fermentations with and without an external source of acetate revealed a strongly increased lactate production (up to 2.5 g/L) for the recombinant strain compared to wild type. In the engineered bacterium, the assimilation of CO₂ into lactic acid was increased 1.7 times but the hydrogen yield was impaired in comparison to the wild type strain. Analysis of fermentation yields revealed an impaired metabolism of hydrogen in the recombinant strain that should be addressed in future studies. These results offer an important prospective for the development of a sustainable approach that combines carbon capture, energy production from renewable source, and the synthesis of high value-added products, which will be addressed in future studies.

Effect of Cultivation Parameters on Fermentation and Hydrogen Production in the Phylum Thermotogae

The phylum Thermotogae is composed of a single class (Thermotogae), 4 orders (Thermotogales, Kosmotogales, Petrotogales, Mesoaciditogales), 5 families (Thermatogaceae, Fervidobacteriaceae, Kosmotogaceae, Petrotogaceae, Mesoaciditogaceae), and 13 genera. They have been isolated from extremely hot environments whose characteristics are reflected in the metabolic and phenotypic properties of the Thermotogae species. The metabolic versatility of Thermotogae members leads to a pool of high value-added products with application potentials in many industry fields. The low risk of contamination associated with their extreme culture conditions has made most species of the phylum attractive candidates in biotechnological processes. Almost all members of the phylum, especially those in the order Thermotogales, can produce bio-hydrogen from a variety of simple and complex sugars with yields close to the theoretical Thauer limit of 4 mol H₂/mol consumed glucose. Acetate, lactate, and L-alanine are the major organic end products. Thermotagae fermentation processes are influenced by various factors, such as hydrogen partial pressure, agitation, gas sparging, culture/headspace ratio, inoculum, pH, temperature, nitrogen sources, sulfur sources, inorganic compounds, metal ions, etc. Optimization of these parameters will help to fully unleash the biotechnological potentials of Thermotogae and promote their applications in industry. This article gives an overview of how these operational parameters could impact Thermotogae fermentation in terms of sugar consumption, hydrogen yields, and organic acids production.

Responses to the Hydrostatic Pressure of Surface and Subsurface Strains of Pseudothermotoga elfii Revealing the Piezophilic Nature of the Strain Originating From an Oil-Producing Well

Microorganisms living in deep-oil reservoirs face extreme conditions of elevated temperature and hydrostatic pressure. Within these microbial communities, members of the order Thermotogales are predominant. Among them, the genus Pseudothermotoga is widespread in oilfield-produced waters. The growth and cell phenotypes under hydrostatic pressures ranging from 0.1 to 50 MPa of two strains from the same species originating from subsurface, Pseudothermotoga elfii DSM9442 isolated from a deep African oil-producing well, and surface, P. elfii subsp. lettingae isolated from a thermophilic sulfate-reducing bioreactor, environments are reported for the first time. The data support evidence for the piezophilic nature of P. elfii DSM9442, with an optimal hydrostatic pressure for growth of 20 MPa and an upper limit of 40 MPa, and the piezotolerance of P. elfii subsp. lettingae with growth occurring up to 20 MPa only. Under the experimental conditions, both strains produce mostly acetate and propionate as volatile fatty acids with slight variations with respect to the hydrostatic pressure for P. elfii DSM9442. The data show that the metabolism of P. elfii DSM9442 is optimized when grown at 20 MPa, in agreement with its piezophilic nature. Both Pseudothermotoga strains form chained cells when the hydrostatic pressure increases, especially P. elfii DSM9442 for which 44% of cells is chained when grown at 40 MPa. The viability of the chained cells increases with the increase in the hydrostatic pressure, indicating that chain formation is a protective mechanism for P. elfii DSM9442.