Biotechnology of Extremely Thermophilic Archaea

Overview

Journal FEMS Microbiol Rev

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2018 Jun 27

PMID 29945179

Citations 36

Authors

Christopher T Straub

James A Counts

Diep M N Nguyen

Chang-Hao Wu

Benjamin M Zeldes

James R Crosby

Jonathan M Conway

Jonathan K Otten

Gina L Lipscomb

Gerrit J Schut

Michael W W Adams

Robert M Kelly

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Although the extremely thermophilic archaea (Topt ≥ 70°C) may be the most primitive extant forms of life, they have been studied to a limited extent relative to mesophilic microorganisms. Many of these organisms have unique biochemical and physiological characteristics with important biotechnological implications. These include methanogens that generate methane, fermentative anaerobes that produce hydrogen gas with high efficiency, and acidophiles that can mobilize base, precious and strategic metals from mineral ores. Extremely thermophilic archaea have also been a valuable source of thermoactive, thermostable biocatalysts, but their use as cellular systems has been limited because of the general lack of facile genetics tools. This situation has changed recently, however, thereby providing an important avenue for understanding their metabolic and physiological details and also opening up opportunities for metabolic engineering efforts. Along these lines, extremely thermophilic archaea have recently been engineered to produce a variety of alcohols and industrial chemicals, in some cases incorporating CO2 into the final product. There are barriers and challenges to these organisms reaching their full potential as industrial microorganisms but, if these can be overcome, a new dimension for biotechnology will be forthcoming that strategically exploits biology at high temperatures.

Citing Articles

Recovery of nearly 3,000 archaeal genomes from 152 terrestrial geothermal spring metagenomes.

Qi Y, Zhang H, Li M, Li W, Hua Z Sci Data. 2025; 12(1):151.

PMID: 39865091 PMC: 11770067. DOI: 10.1038/s41597-025-04493-z.

5'-untranslated region sequences enhance plasmid-based protein production in .

Kuschmierz L, Wagner A, Schmerling C, Busche T, Kalinowski J, Brasen C Front Microbiol. 2024; 15:1443342.

PMID: 39654677 PMC: 11627041. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1443342.

Development of a defined medium for the heterotrophic cultivation of Metallosphaera sedula.

Sedlmayr V, Luger M, Pittenauer E, Marchetti-Deschmann M, Kronlachner L, Limbeck A Extremophiles. 2024; 28(3):36.

PMID: 39060419 PMC: 11282131. DOI: 10.1007/s00792-024-01348-0.

Sugar transport in thermophiles: Bridging lignocellulose deconstruction and bioconversion.

Tjo H, Conway J J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024; 51.

PMID: 38866721 PMC: 11212667. DOI: 10.1093/jimb/kuae020.

Rational design of unrestricted pRN1 derivatives and their application in the construction of a dual plasmid vector system for .

Zhao P, Bi X, Wang X, Feng X, Shen Y, Yuan G mLife. 2024; 3(1):119-128.

PMID: 38827506 PMC: 11139203. DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.12107.

References

Marteinsson V, Birrien J, Reysenbach A, Vernet M, Marie D, Gambacorta A . Thermococcus barophilus sp. nov., a new barophilic and hyperthermophilic archaeon isolated under high hydrostatic pressure from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. Int J Syst Bacteriol. 1999; 49 Pt 2:351-9. DOI: 10.1099/00207713-49-2-351. View

Hashimoto H, Matsumoto T, Nishioka M, Yuasa T, Takeuchi S, Inoue T . Crystallographic studies on a family B DNA polymerase from hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus kodakaraensis strain KOD1. J Biochem. 1999; 125(6):983-6. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jbchem.a022405. View

GARDNER A, Jack W . Determinants of nucleotide sugar recognition in an archaeon DNA polymerase. Nucleic Acids Res. 1999; 27(12):2545-53. PMC: 148459. DOI: 10.1093/nar/27.12.2545. View

ZIMMERMANN , Laska , Kletzin . Two modes of sulfite oxidation in the extremely thermophilic and acidophilic archaeon acidianus ambivalens . Arch Microbiol. 1999; 172(2):76-82. DOI: 10.1007/s002030050743. View

Shaw A, Bott R, Day A . Protein engineering of alpha-amylase for low pH performance. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 1999; 10(4):349-52. DOI: 10.1016/S0958-1669(99)80063-9. View

Jenney Jr F, Verhagen M, Cui X, Adams M . Anaerobic microbes: oxygen detoxification without superoxide dismutase. Science. 1999; 286(5438):306-9. DOI: 10.1126/science.286.5438.306. View

Tanaka T, Fujiwara S, Nishikori S, Fukui T, Takagi M, Imanaka T . A unique chitinase with dual active sites and triple substrate binding sites from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus kodakaraensis KOD1. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1999; 65(12):5338-44. PMC: 91726. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.65.12.5338-5344.1999. View

Patel G, Agnew B, Deschatelets L, Fleming L, Sprott G . In vitro assessment of archaeosome stability for developing oral delivery systems. Int J Pharm. 1999; 194(1):39-49. DOI: 10.1016/s0378-5173(99)00331-2. View

Evans S, Fogg M, Mamone A, Davis M, Pearl L, Connolly B . Improving dideoxynucleotide-triphosphate utilisation by the hyper-thermophilic DNA polymerase from the archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. Nucleic Acids Res. 2000; 28(5):1059-66. PMC: 102620. DOI: 10.1093/nar/28.5.1059. View

10.

Patel G, Sprott G . Archaeobacterial ether lipid liposomes (archaeosomes) as novel vaccine and drug delivery systems. Crit Rev Biotechnol. 2000; 19(4):317-57. DOI: 10.1080/0738-859991229170. View

11.

Sriskanda V, Kelman Z, Hurwitz J, Shuman S . Characterization of an ATP-dependent DNA ligase from the thermophilic archaeon Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Nucleic Acids Res. 2000; 28(11):2221-8. PMC: 102631. DOI: 10.1093/nar/28.11.2221. View

12.

Woodward J, Orr M, Cordray K, Greenbaum E . Enzymatic production of biohydrogen. Nature. 2000; 405(6790):1014-5. DOI: 10.1038/35016633. View

13.

HUBER H, Burggraf S, Mayer T, Wyschkony I, Rachel R, Stetter K . Ignicoccus gen. nov., a novel genus of hyperthermophilic, chemolithoautotrophic Archaea, represented by two new species, Ignicoccus islandicus sp nov and Ignicoccus pacificus sp nov. and Ignicoccus pacificus sp. nov. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 2001; 50 Pt 6:2093-2100. DOI: 10.1099/00207713-50-6-2093. View

14.

Hashimoto H, Nishioka M, Fujiwara S, Takagi M, Imanaka T, Inoue T . Crystal structure of DNA polymerase from hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus kodakaraensis KOD1. J Mol Biol. 2001; 306(3):469-77. DOI: 10.1006/jmbi.2000.4403. View

15.

Robb F, Maeder D, Brown J, DiRuggiero J, Stump M, Yeh R . Genomic sequence of hyperthermophile, Pyrococcus furiosus: implications for physiology and enzymology. Methods Enzymol. 2001; 330:134-57. DOI: 10.1016/s0076-6879(01)30372-5. View

16.

Moracci M, Ciaramella M, Rossi M . Beta-glycosidase from Sulfolobus solfataricus. Methods Enzymol. 2001; 330:201-15. DOI: 10.1016/s0076-6879(01)30376-2. View

17.

Cady S, Bauer M, Callen W, Snead M, Mathur E, Short J . Beta-Endoglucanase from Pyrococcus furiosus. Methods Enzymol. 2001; 330:346-54. DOI: 10.1016/s0076-6879(01)30387-7. View

18.

Lebbink J, Kaper T, Kengen S, van der Oost J, de Vos W . beta-Glucosidase CelB from Pyrococcus furiosus: production by Escherichia coli, purification, and in vitro evolution. Methods Enzymol. 2001; 330:364-79. DOI: 10.1016/s0076-6879(01)30389-0. View

19.

Amend J, Shock E . Energetics of overall metabolic reactions of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic Archaea and bacteria. FEMS Microbiol Rev. 2001; 25(2):175-243. DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2001.tb00576.x. View

20.

Romano P, Blazquez M, Alguacil F, Munoz J, Ballester A, Gonzalez F . Comparative study on the selective chalcopyrite bioleaching of a molybdenite concentrate with mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2001; 196(1):71-5. DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2001.tb10543.x. View