Talk:Pyrodictium
Description[edit]
Pyrodictium is a genera of submarine hyperthermophilic Archaea whose optimal growth temperature ranges from approximately 80°C-113°C. They have a unique cell structure involving a network of cannulae (tubules) and flat, disk-shaped cells. Pyrodictium are found in the porous walls of deep-sea vents where the temperatures inside get as high as 300°C-400°C, while the outside marine environment is typically 3°C. Pyrodictium is apparently able to adapt morphologically to this type of hot-cold habitat.
Genome Structure[edit]
Much research has been done on the genetics of Pyrodictium in order to understand its ability to survive and even thrive in such extreme temperatures. The thermal stability of Pyrodictum occultum's isolate tRNA has been analyzed, indicating that modifications in the nucleosides allow the organism to withstand temperatures well over 100°C.
Cell Structure and Metabolism[edit]
See [Pyrodictium SEM Picture].
Pyrodictium cells have been studied by scientists in part because they are a model of thermal stability. The cells' structure is a flat, irregular disk, 0.3 - 2.5 microns in diameter and up to .3 microns in width. The cells grow in unique flake-like shapes held together by a network of hollow cannulae. The cannulae branch out and connect with other cells, greatly extending their range. While the exact reason for this morphology is unknown, the webs could enable an organism to use thermal gradients as an additional energy source. The large size range of the cells may allow Pyrodictium to inhabit a variety of pores in the deep-sea vent walls.
Ecology[edit]
Members of Pyrodictium are located in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, first discovered in 1979. Their ecological significance remains a mystery because of the difficulty in collecting samples which may yield data on the abundance and diversity of these extremophiles.
Source: http://biology.kenyon.edu/Microbial_Biorealm/archaea/pyrodictium/pyrodictium.html
Environment[edit]
Pyrodictium occultum is a marine hyperthermophiles found in hot areas of the seafloor. They can survive in temperatures of 82 - 110 °C with its ideal operating range at 105 °C. At such high temperatures, large quantities of chaperone proteins, specifically heat-shock proteins stabilize this organism. A chaperon, similar to E. Coli's GroEL can take up approximately 75% of the cell at 108°C. This chaperone functions in hydrolyzing ATP.
As already pointed out by User:Ucucha, no text on Wikispecies plz. --Kempm 04:49, 15 October 2006 (UTC)