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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Crop Bioprotection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #376972
Research Project: Development of Production and Formulation Technologies for Microbial Biopesticides in Conjunction with the Development of Attractants and Repellents for Invasive Insect Pests

Location: Crop Bioprotection Research

Title: Proposal of Thermoactinomyces mirandus sp. nov., a filamentous, anaerobic bacterium isolated from a biogas plant

Author
item MUTSCHLECHNER, MIRA - University Of Innsbruck
item LACKNER, NINA - University Of Innsbruck
item MARKT, RUDOLF - University Of Innsbruck
item SALVENMOSER, WILLI - University Of Innsbruck
item Dunlap, Christopher
item WAGNER, ANDREAS - University Of Innsbruck

Submitted to: Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/4/2020
Publication Date: 11/19/2020
Citation: Mutschlechner, M., Lackner, N., Markt, R., Salvenmoser, W., Dunlap, C.A., Wagner, A.O. 2020. Proposal of Thermoactinomyces mirandus sp. nov., a filamentous, anaerobic bacterium isolated from a biogas plant. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 114:45-54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-020-01497-0.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-020-01497-0

Interpretive Summary: An ARS researcher from Peoria, Illinois collaborated with scientists from a University in Austria to characterize and describe a novel species of bacteria isolated from a biogas plant designed to treat organic fractions of household waste. The unusual bacterium was able to grow under high temperatures and without the presence of oxygen. The strain was shown to contain hydrogenase genes and had the ability to produce hydrogen, which has not been previously observed in this genus of bacteria. Understanding the microbial ecology of waste digestion will allow us to improve these processes in the future for the production of value-added products (biogas) and sustainable waste management.

Technical Abstract: We isolated a filamentous, thermophilic, and first anaerobic representative of the genus Thermoactinomyces, designated strain AMNI-1T, from a biogas plant in Tyrol, Austria and report the results of a phenotypic, genetic, and phylogenetic investigation. Strain AMNI-1T was observed to form a white branching mycelium that aggregates into pellets when grown in liquid medium. Cells could primarily utilize lactose, glucose, and mannose as carbon and energy sources, with acetate accelerating and yeast extract being mandatory for growth. The optimum growth temperature and pH turned out to be 55 °C and pH 7.0, respectively, with an optimum NaCl concentration of 0–2% (w/v). 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison indicated that the genetic relatedness between strain AMNI-1T and Thermoactinomyces intermedius, Thermoactinomyces khenchelensis, and Thermoactinomyces vulgaris was less than 97%. The G'+'C content of the genomic DNA was 44.7 mol%. The data obtained suggest that the isolate represents a novel and first anaerobic species of the genus Thermoactinomyces, for which the name Thermoactinomyces mirandus is proposed. The type strain is AMNI-1T (='DSM 110094T'='LMG 31503T). The description of the genus Thermoactinomyces is emended accordingly.