Halodesulfurarchaeum

Abstract

Ha.lo.de.sul.fur.ar.chae’um. Gr. n. hals, halos salt of the sea; L. pref. de-, from; L. n. sulfur , sulfur; N.L. neut. n. archaeum archaeon from Gr. adj. archaios-ê-on ancient;
N.L. neut. n. Halodesulfurarchaeum sulfur-reducing haloarchaeon. The genus Halodesulfurarchaeum, classified within the family Halobacteriaceae, order Halobacteriales, and in
the class Halobacteria, consists of obligately anaerobic extremely halophilic euryarchaea that grow by oxidation of H2 or formate with elemental sulfur, DMSO, or thiosulfate (some strains) as the electron acceptor, representing a first example of lithoheterotrophy in the class Halobacteria. Strains have been isolated from sediments of various terrestrial hypersaline chloride-sulfate lakes, marine solar salterns, and deep-sea hypersaline brines in the Mediterranean. The genus consists of one species Halodesulfurarchaeum formicicum, which is the type species of the genus. DNA G+C content (mol%): 63.6–63.8 mol% (genome). Type species: Halodesulfurarchaeum formicicum.