Archaeal Life on Tangkuban Perahu-Sampling and Culture Growth in Indonesian Laboratories

Abstract

The aim of the expedition to Tangkuban Perahu, West Java was to obtain archaeal samples from the solfatara fields located in Domas crater. This was one of the places, where scientists from the University of Regensburg Germany had formerly isolated Indonesian archaea, especially Thermoplasma and Sulfolobus species but not fully characterized. We collected five samples from mud holes with temperatures from 57 to 88 o C and pH of 1.5-2. A portion of each sample was grown at the University of Regensburg in modified Allen's medium at 80 o C. From four out of five samples enrichment cultures were obtained, autotrophically on elemental sulphur and heterotrophically on sulfur and yeast extract; electron micrographs are presented. In the laboratories of Universitas Indonesia the isolates were cultured at 55-60 o C in order to grow tetraetherlipid synthesizing archaea, both Thermoplasmatales and Sulfolobales. Here, we succeeded to culture the same type of archaeal cells, which had been cultured in Regensburg, probably a Sulfolobus species and in Freundt's medium, Thermoplasma species. The harvested cells are documented by phase contrast microscope equipped with a digital camera. Our next steps will be to further characterize genetically the cultured cells from Tangkuban Perahu isolates.

Characterization of Thermoplasma Species Cultured from Sampling on Tangkuban Perahu, Indonesia

“…Recently, we reported on isolates from Tangkuban Perahu, a volcano in West Java and culture growth in laboratories in Regensburg, Germany, and Depok, Indonesia (Handayani 2012). We could demonstrate growth of (Huber and Prangishvili 2004) in Regensburg by electron microscopyand obviously cultured members of the order (Huber 2002) in Depok, but the latter could not be characterized et al Sulfolobales…”

“…On June 11, 2012 (samples KD 1,2) and January 21, 2013 (samples KD 3,4,5) sampling was carried out on the Indonesian volcano Tangkuban Perahulocated in West Java, Bandung. Samples were taken from solfatara fields in the Domas crater (Kawah Domas, KD), under similar conditions as described by Handayani . 2012.…”

“…Thermoplasma tales et al (Handayani 2012). Now, we focused on the isolation and culture growth of et al Thermoplamsa species,e.g.…”

Characterization and identification of three thermophilic Bacillus strain isolated from Domas Crater, Mt. Tangkuban Perahu, Indonesia

“…Thermoplasma lacks a cell wall, and only have membrane lipids. Both of Sulfolobales and Thermoplasmatales members grow autotrophically metabolizing elemental sulfur, but can also grow mixo-and heterotrophically, from anoxic to oxic conditions (Handayani et al 2012).…”

The Main (Glyco) Phospholipid (MPL) of Thermoplasma acidophilum

“…This research was transferred to Indonesia [6,7,8], since Thermoplasma and other Archaeal species had been found in Indonesian volcanoes [9]. Meanwhile, Archaea have been isolated and cultured from there [10,11] and research will be continued from wild type species, until Indonesian laboratory stems will have been established.…”