Query: NC_006177:3192500 Symbiobacterium thermophilum IAM 14863, complete genome Lineage: Symbiobacterium thermophilum; Symbiobacterium; Shewanellaceae; Clostridiales; Firmicutes; Bacteria General Information: This symbiotic and thermophilic bacterium was discovered by screening for thermostable tryptanophases in Japanese compost. Cultured growth of this organism requires the presence of another bacterial species, such as a Bacillus or Escherichia coli, which provides diffusable metabolites required for its growth. Pure cultures can be obtained by growing Symbiobacterium thermophilum in a bioreactor, separated from its symbiotic counterpart by a dialysis membrane. Because of its symbiotic nature, it cannot be cultured with conventional methods. Despite a negative reaction for gram stain, this species is placed with the gram-positive bacteria based on 16s phylogenetic analysis.
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General Information: First isolated in 1960 in Oxford, England, as an airborne contaminant growing on methylamine. This strain can grow on methylamine or methanol, but not methane. This organism is capable of growth on one-carbon compounds such as methanol. Methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde which is then used metabolically to generate either energy or biomass. These bacteria are commonly found in the environment, especially associated with plants which produce methanol when metabolizing pectin during cell wall synthesis. At least 25 genes are required for this complex process of converting methanol to formaldehyde and this specialized metabolic pathway is of great interest.