Exiguobacterium sp. AT1b

Exiguobacterium sp. (strain ATCC BAA-1283 / AT1b) is a non-spore forming Gram-positive bacterium isolated from a slightly alkaline and highly carbonate hot spring water of Angel Terrace, which is part of Mammoth Terrace, Yellowstone National Park. Exiguobacterium sp. is a facultative anaerobe but grows more profusely aerobically. It is able to grow from 15 to 50 degrees Celsius. The cells are rods about 2 um in length, with rounded ends. They occur singly, in pairs or infrequently in chains. Exiguobacterium sp. possesses high nuclease activity and are able to metabolize cellulosic materials. It is also involved in the carbon cycling in hot environments. Through analysis of the transcriptome, experiments can be designed to study microbial survival under a variety of high temperature and low temperature conditions. The issue of adaptations to different temperatures is of interest in the field of astrobiology. Organisms that inhabit such diametrally opposite environments may be used as models for understanding cellular responses on astral bodies. (Adaptated from: http://genome.jgi-psf.org/exi_a/exi_a.home.html). (EBI Integr8)