Thermus aquaticus: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
''Thermus aquaticus'' is a thermophilic bacterium that is isolated from thermal springs in Yellowstone National Park, California <ref>Brock TD, Freeze H. (1969 Apr) Thermus aquaticus gen. n. and sp. n., a nonsporulating extreme thermophile. J Bacteriol. 98(1):289-97</ref>. Isolates of ''T. aquaticus'' are [[Gram negative|gram-negative]] nonsporulating nonmotile rods which frequently form long filaments at supraoptimal temperatures <ref>Brock TD, Freeze H. (1969 Apr) Thermus aquaticus gen. n. and sp. n., a nonsporulating extreme thermophile. J Bacteriol. 98(1):289-97</ref>. This bacterium has revolutionised the [[PCR|PCR]] technique as from it, the enzyme [[Taq polymerase|Taq polymerase]] has been harvested. Taq polymerase can withstand the high temperatures required to break the [[Hydrogen bonds|hydrogen bonds]] during [[PCR|PCR]] and will not denature. | ''Thermus aquaticus'' is a thermophilic bacterium that is isolated from thermal springs in Yellowstone National Park, California <ref>Brock TD, Freeze H. (1969 Apr) Thermus aquaticus gen. n. and sp. n., a nonsporulating extreme thermophile. J Bacteriol. 98(1):289-97</ref>. Isolates of ''T. aquaticus'' are [[Gram negative|gram-negative]] nonsporulating nonmotile rods which frequently form long filaments at supraoptimal temperatures <ref>Brock TD, Freeze H. (1969 Apr) Thermus aquaticus gen. n. and sp. n., a nonsporulating extreme thermophile. J Bacteriol. 98(1):289-97</ref>. This bacterium has revolutionised the [[PCR|PCR]] technique as from it, the enzyme [[Taq polymerase|Taq polymerase]] has been harvested. Taq polymerase can withstand the high temperatures required to break the [[Hydrogen bonds|hydrogen bonds]] during [[PCR|PCR]] and will not denature. | ||
The Thermus aquaticus can survive in temperatures ranging from 50°C to 80°C, and | The Thermus aquaticus can survive in temperatures ranging from 50°C to 80°C, and growth conditions thrive at approximately 70°C. The cylindrical bacterium is a chemotroph whereby it gains energy from the oxidation of electron donors. | ||
=== References === | === References === | ||
<references /><br> | <references /><br> | ||
3. Life at High Temperatures - Thomas D.Brock. 1994.[ONLINE] Available at: http://bioinfo.bact.wisc.edu/themicrobialworld/LAHT/b27.html. [Accessed 1994]. | |||
Revision as of 14:10, 23 October 2015
Thermus aquaticus is a thermophilic bacterium that is isolated from thermal springs in Yellowstone National Park, California [1]. Isolates of T. aquaticus are gram-negative nonsporulating nonmotile rods which frequently form long filaments at supraoptimal temperatures [2]. This bacterium has revolutionised the PCR technique as from it, the enzyme Taq polymerase has been harvested. Taq polymerase can withstand the high temperatures required to break the hydrogen bonds during PCR and will not denature.
The Thermus aquaticus can survive in temperatures ranging from 50°C to 80°C, and growth conditions thrive at approximately 70°C. The cylindrical bacterium is a chemotroph whereby it gains energy from the oxidation of electron donors.
References
3. Life at High Temperatures - Thomas D.Brock. 1994.[ONLINE] Available at: http://bioinfo.bact.wisc.edu/themicrobialworld/LAHT/b27.html. [Accessed 1994].