In 1969, Thomas Brock and Hudson Freeze of Indiana University discovered a new bacteria species in the Yellow Stone Park, that scientist thought it could not survive above 55 degrees Celsius. Thermus aquaticus is a typical gram-negative bacterium, meaning that its cell walls contain much less peptidoglycan and unlike gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria contain lipoproteins. T. aquaticus appears as either a rod or short filaments. When exposed to sunlight, it can exhibit a yellow, pink, or red color due to pigments within the bacteria. Along with the coloration, T. aquaticus can either have flagella or be immotile. It thrives at 70 °C, but can survive at temperatures of 50 °C to 80 °C. This bacterium is chemotrophic— organisms that
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aquaticus has been a useful organism in the field of Biotechnology, as its enzyme Taq polymerase is harvested for use in polymerase chain reactions (PCR)- to amplify short segments of DNA. One of the advantages for this DNA polymerase was that it could be isolated in a purer form and free of other enzyme contaminants. T. aquaticus form of the enzyme is well suited for the repetitive heating involved in PCR and will not denature. Taq polymerase's resistance to heat is an adaptation to its environment, but is not the only reason it is the choice for use in PCR. Taq polymerase is incredibly accurate, at 1x10^-4 to 2x10^-5 errors per base pair. These properties of Taq polymerase- it's heat resistance, accuracy, and potency- make PCR, and technologies that utilize PCR, such as DNA fingerprinting, enzyme production, and medical diagnoses …show more content…
aquaticus structure resembles that of other gram-negative bacteria. It has a three layered membrane composed of an inner plasma membrane, an intermediate and a rougher outer layer. Along the inner membrane usually lies a series of rod like structures that resemble individual cells, which are called rotund bodies. Several studies have agreed that the base pair composition of an average T. aquaticus DNA molecule is between 57 - 65% for G + C meaning that the corresponding base pairs of A+T, have a composition of 35 - 43%. DNA strains for T. aquaticus are naturally transferable and under normal physiological conditions, they can be directly incorporated after they are taken up. The distinguishing feature of T. aquaticus’ genomic structure is the 16s rRNA gene III. This is what differentiates it from all other thermophiles. Two studies have demonstrated that T. aquaticus has 4 plasmids.
Thermus aquaticus is heterotrophic in nature and, needs organic compounds from the surrounding environment in order to grow and sustain life. T. aquaticus reproduces asexually via mitosis, Taq polymerase allows the bacteria to replicate at the high temperatures of its environment without denaturing. Some of the most common sources for organic material are: the algal-bacterial mat, other heterotrophs, chemoautotrophs, and the surrounding soil. The algal-bacterial mat is an area at the surface of a hot springs environment containing decomposing organic matter, and is a major source of
aquaticus has been a useful organism in the field of Biotechnology, as its enzyme Taq polymerase is harvested for use in polymerase chain reactions (PCR)- to amplify short segments of DNA. One of the advantages for this DNA polymerase was that it could be isolated in a purer form and free of other enzyme contaminants. T. aquaticus form of the enzyme is well suited for the repetitive heating involved in PCR and will not denature. Taq polymerase's resistance to heat is an adaptation to its environment, but is not the only reason it is the choice for use in PCR. Taq polymerase is incredibly accurate, at 1x10^-4 to 2x10^-5 errors per base pair. These properties of Taq polymerase- it's heat resistance, accuracy, and potency- make PCR, and technologies that utilize PCR, such as DNA fingerprinting, enzyme production, and medical diagnoses …show more content…
aquaticus structure resembles that of other gram-negative bacteria. It has a three layered membrane composed of an inner plasma membrane, an intermediate and a rougher outer layer. Along the inner membrane usually lies a series of rod like structures that resemble individual cells, which are called rotund bodies. Several studies have agreed that the base pair composition of an average T. aquaticus DNA molecule is between 57 - 65% for G + C meaning that the corresponding base pairs of A+T, have a composition of 35 - 43%. DNA strains for T. aquaticus are naturally transferable and under normal physiological conditions, they can be directly incorporated after they are taken up. The distinguishing feature of T. aquaticus’ genomic structure is the 16s rRNA gene III. This is what differentiates it from all other thermophiles. Two studies have demonstrated that T. aquaticus has 4 plasmids.
Thermus aquaticus is heterotrophic in nature and, needs organic compounds from the surrounding environment in order to grow and sustain life. T. aquaticus reproduces asexually via mitosis, Taq polymerase allows the bacteria to replicate at the high temperatures of its environment without denaturing. Some of the most common sources for organic material are: the algal-bacterial mat, other heterotrophs, chemoautotrophs, and the surrounding soil. The algal-bacterial mat is an area at the surface of a hot springs environment containing decomposing organic matter, and is a major source of