Thioploca

Thioploca
Scientific classification
Domain:
Bacteria
Phylum:
Pseudomonadota
Class:
Gammaproteobacteria
Order:
Thiotrichales
Family:
Thiotrichaceae[1]
Genus:
Thioploca

Thioploca is a genus of filamentous sulphur-oxidizing bacteria, in the order Thiotrichales (class Gammaproteobacteria). They inhabit both marine and freshwater environments, forming vast communities off the Pacific coast of South America and in other areas with a high organic matter sedimentation and bottom waters rich in nitrate and poor in oxygen.[3][4] Their cells contain large vacuoles that occupy more than 80% of the cellular volume, used to store nitrate to oxidize sulphur for anaerobic respiration in the absence of oxygen, an important characteristic of the genus.[3] With cell diameters ranging from 15-40 μm, they are some of the largest bacteria known.[4] They provide an important link between the nitrogen and sulphur cycles, because they use both sulfur and nitrogen compounds.[5] They secrete a sheath of mucus which they use as a tunnel to travel between sulphide-containing sediment and nitrate-containing sea water.[6]

  1. ^ eol
  2. ^ Jørgensen, B. B.; Gallardo, V. A. (1999). "Thioploca spp.: Filamentous sulfur bacteria with nitrate vacuoles". FEMS Microbiology Ecology. 28 (4): 301. doi:10.1111/j.1574-6941.1999.tb00585.x.
  3. ^ a b Jørgensen, Bo Barker; Gallardo, Victor A (1999-04-01). "Thioploca spp.: filamentous sulfur bacteria with nitrate vacuoles". FEMS Microbiology Ecology. 28 (4): 301–313. doi:10.1111/j.1574-6941.1999.tb00585.x. ISSN 0168-6496.
  4. ^ a b Angert, Esther R.; Clements, Kendall D.; Pace, Norman R. (March 1993). "The largest bacterium". Nature. 362 (6417): 239–241. Bibcode:1993Natur.362..239A. doi:10.1038/362239a0. ISSN 0028-0836. PMID 8459849. S2CID 4242187.
  5. ^ Gabe Paal (April 16, 1999). "Biggest bacteria ever found". EurekAlert!.
  6. ^ Gabe Paal (April 16, 1999). "Biggest bacteria ever found". EurekAlert!.