Acidithiobacillus caldus

Acidithiobacillus caldus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Pseudomonadota
Class:	Acidithiobacillia
Order:	Acidithiobacillales
Family:	Acidithiobacillaceae
Genus:	Acidithiobacillus
Species:	A. caldus
Binomial name
Acidithiobacillus caldus (Kelly and Wood 2000)
Type strain
DSM 8584 (Kelly & Wood 2000)
Synonyms
Thiobacillus caldus (Hallberg & Lindstrom 1994)

Acidithiobacillus caldus formerly belonged to the genus Thiobacillus prior to 2000, when it was reclassified along with a number of other bacterial species into one of three new genera that better categorize sulfur-oxidizing acidophiles.^[1] As a member of the Gammaproteobacteria class of Pseudomonadota, A. caldus may be identified as a Gram-negative bacterium that is frequently found in pairs.^[2] Considered to be one of the most common microbes involved in biomining, it is capable of oxidizing reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs) that form during the breakdown of sulfide minerals.^[3] The meaning of the prefix acidi- in the name Acidithiobacillus comes from the Latin word acidus, signifying that members of this genus love a sour, acidic environment. Thio is derived from the Greek word thios and describes the use of sulfur as an energy source, and bacillus describes the shape of these microorganisms, which are small rods.^[1] The species name, caldus, is derived from the Latin word for warm or hot, denoting this species' love of a warm environment.