Description of Tessaracoccus profundi sp.nov., a deep-subsurface actinobacterium isolated from a Chesapeake impact crater drill core (940 m depth)

Abstract

A novel actinobacterium, designated CB31(T), was isolated from a 940 m depth sample of a drilling core obtained from the Chesapeake meteor impact crater. The strain was isolated aerobically on R2A medium agar plates supplemented with NaCl (20 g l(-1)) and MgCl2 x 6 H2O (3 g l(-1)). The colonies were circular, convex, smooth and orange. Cells were slightly curved, rod-shaped in young cultures and often appeared in pairs. In older cultures cells were coccoid. Cells stained Gram-positive, were non-motile and did not form endospores. The diagnostic diamino acid of the peptidoglycan was LL: -diaminopimelic acid. The polar lipids included phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidglycerol, four different glycolipids, two further phospholipids and one unidentified lipid. The dominant menaquinone was MK-9(H(4)) (70%). The major cellular fatty acid was anteiso C15:0 (83%). The DNA G + C content was 68 mol%. The strain grew anaerobically by reducing nitrate to nitrite or by fermenting glucose. It was catalase positive and oxidase negative. It grew between 10 and 45 degrees C, with an optimum between 35 and 40 degrees C. The pH range for growth was 5.7-9.3, with an optimum at pH 7.5. The closest phylogenetic neighbors based on 16S rRNA gene sequence identity were members of the genus Tessaracoccus (95-96% identity). On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic distinctiveness, strain CB31(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Tessaracoccus, for which we propose the name Tessaracoccus profundi sp. nov.. It is the first member of this genus that has been isolated from a deep subsurface environment. The type strain is CB31(T) (=NCIMB 14440(T) = DSM 21240(T)).

A Critical Assessment of the Microorganisms Proposed to be Important to Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal in Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment Systems

“…Evidence for their role in EBPR rests solely on the ability of T. bendigoensis to accumulate polyphosphate in pure culture (Maszenan et al, 1999b) and nothing is known of their in situ physiology. Isolated members of the genus are facultative anaerobes and thus likely have a fermentative metabolism in wastewater systems (Maszenan et al, 1999b; Finster et al, 2009). Their high abundance appears to be maintained by immigration from the influent wastewater, suggesting a low growth and activity rate (Saunders et al, 2016).…”

The Deep Biosphere in Terrestrial Sediments in the Chesapeake Bay Area, Virginia, USA

“…Below the post-impact CBIS terrestrial sediments in the geologically different zones of sediment breccias, schist, pegmatite, and granite (444–1766 m depth) the total cell numbers were considerably lower (10 4 and 10 6 cells/g or not detectable; Gohn et al, 2008). The novel actinobacterium Tessaracoccus profundi was isolated and described from a depth of 940 m (Finster et al, 2009). …”

Nucleation of Fe-rich phosphates and carbonates on microbial cells and exopolymeric substances

“…Two members of the Tessaracoccus genus have been previously isolated from marine sediments (Lee and Lee, 2008 ) and deep subsurface environments (Finster et al, 2009 ). Others have been isolated from crude oil-contaminated saline soil (Cai et al, 2011 ) and oleaginous, water-mixed metalworking fluids (Kämpfer et al, 2009 ), which suggests that the Tessaracoccus genus might be specially adept at degrading hydrocarbons and/or recalcitrant organic matter under harsh environmental conditions.…”