• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.354-358
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• 1997

Some sulfur coompounds dissimilation characteristcs of Thermococcus sp. DT1331 were studied. DT1331 had ether-like lipid compounds in addition to esters in the cell membrane. The specific growth rates of DT1331 decreased with increasing head spaces of the cultures. However, when the ratio of head space volume to medium volume was 5.60, the strain showed no growth. DT1331 showed vigo- rous growth with 1% or more elemental sulfur addition. Cystine could substitute elemental sulfur and DT1331 showed moderate growth with 0.1% or more cystine concentration. The specific growth rate and maximum cell concentration of Thermococcus sp. DT1331 in the presence of elemental sulfur were 0.80 hr$^{-1}$ and 2.0 x 10$^{8}$ cells/ml, respectively, while they were 0.67 hr$^{-1}$ and 1.1 x 10$^{8}$ cells/ml, respectively in the presence of cystine.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.259-266
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• 1994

The hyperthermophilic archaebacterium Thermococcus profundus Isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent system, produced several amylolytic enzymes such as extracellular amylase and pullulanase, intracellular a-1,4-91ucosidase in respone to the presence of complex carbohydrates In the growth medium. This strain showed high activities on 0.5% maltose than on complex carbohydrates One of the amylases was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Toyopearl chromatography. The amylase exhibited maximal activity at pH 5.5 and 80$^{\circ}C$, and was stable in the range of pH 5.5 to 9.5 and up to 80$^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. The enzyme activity was no dependence on Ca2+ and not inhibited by detergents. The amylase hydrolyzed soluble starch, amylose, amylopectin and glycogen to produce maltose and maltotriose with trace amounts of glucose, but not pullulan and ${\alpha}$-, ${\beta}$-, ${\gamma}$-cyclodextrin. Malto-oligosaccharides ranging from maltotetraose to maltoheptaose were hydrolyzed in an endo fashion.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2012

Hydrothermal vents (HTV) provide special environments for evolution of lives independent on solar energy. HTV samples were gained from Tofua arc trench in Tonga, South Pacific. We investigated archaeal diversity enriched using combinations of various electron donors (yeast extract and $H_2$) and electron acceptors [Iron (III), elemental sulfur ($S^0$) and nitrate. PCR amplification was performed to detect archaeal 16S rRNA genes after the cultures were incubated $65^{\circ}C$ and $80^{\circ}C$ for 2 weeks. The cultures showing archaeal growth were transferred using the dilution-to-extinction method. 16S rRNA gene PCR-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis was used to identify the enriched archaea in the highest dilutions where archaeal growth was observed. Most of cultured archaea belonged to genus of Thermococcus (T. alcaliphilius, T. litoralis, T. celer, T. barossii, T. thoreducens, T. coalescens) with 98-99% 16S rRNA gene similarities. Interestingly, archaeal growth was observed in the cultures with Iron (III) and nitrate as an electron acceptor. It was supposed that archaea might use the elemental sulfur generated from oxidation of the reducing agent, sulfide. To cultivate diverse archaea excluding Thermococcus, it would be required to use other reducing agents instead of sulfide.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.413-421
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• 2000

We have isolated a large cylindrical protein complex from hyperthermophile archaeon Thermococcus profundus. Structural analysis by image processing of electron micrographs suggests that the complex is composed of two stacked rings of eight subunits each; the ring enclose a central channel. The purified protein was shown to be a homomultimer of 60 kDa subunit (P60 complex). It exhibits an extremely thermostable ATPase activity with a temperature optimum of $80^{\circ}C$. This protein complex may play an important role in the adaptation of thermophile archaeon to life at high temperature.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.185-191
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• 2000

An unusually large protein complex was found in the cytosol of the hyperthmophilic archaeon. Thermococcus profundus. The purified protein was shown to be a homomultimer of 93 kDa subunit (P93 complex). The complex is extremely heat stable. During 12 hrs incubation with SDS (final concentration 1%) at $85^{\circ}C$, no changed structure could be observed. Electron image analysis of negatively stained showed that the complex has a single, stable characteristic view and a well-preserved core with threefold rotational symmetry. The periphery of the assembly is composed of a nebulose, possibly flexible, component. Based on the projected structure suggest the P93 complex from T. profundus is composed 24 homomultimer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1826-1831
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• 2006

A novel hyperthermophilic, anaerobic, heterotrophic archaeon, designated strain $NA1^T$, was isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent area (depth, 1,650 m) within the Papua New Guinea-Australia-Canada-Manus (PACMANUS) field. Cells of this strain were motile by means of polar flagella, coccoid-shaped with a diameter of approximately $0.5-1.0{\mu}m$, and occurred as single cells. Optimal temperature, pH, and NaCl concentration for growth were $80^{\circ}C$, 8.5, and 3.5%, respectively. The new isolate was an obligate heterotroph that utilized yeast extract, beef extract, tryptone, peptone, casein, and starch as carbon and energy sources. Elemental sulfur was required for growth and was reduced to hydrogen sulfide. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 52.0 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that strain $NA1^T$ belongs to the genus Thermococcus, and the organism is most closely related to T. gorgonarius, T. peptonophilus, and T. celer; however, no significant homology was observed among species by DNA-DNA hybridization. Strain $NA1^T$ therefore represents a novel species for which the name Thermococcus onnurineus sp. novo is proposed. The type strain is $NA1^T$ (=KCTC 10859, =JCM 13517).

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1060-1069
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• 2013

Genome organization near cyclomaltodextrinases (CDases) was analyzed and compared for four different hyperthermophilic archaea: Thermococcus, Pyrococcus, Staphylothermus, and Thermofilum. A gene (CL1_0884) encoding a putative CDase from Thermococcus sp. CL1 (tccd) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. TcCD was confirmed to be highly thermostable, with optimal activity at $85^{\circ}C$. The melting temperature of TcCD was determined to be $93^{\circ}C$ by both differential scanning calorimetry and differential scanning fluorimetry. A size-exclusion chromatography experiment showed that TcCD exists as a monomer. TcCD preferentially hydrolyzed ${\alpha}$-cyclodextrin (${\alpha}$-CD), and at the initial stage catalyzed a ring-opening reaction by cleaving one ${\alpha}$-1,4-glycosidic linkage of the CD ring to produce the corresponding single maltooligosaccharide. Furthermore, TcCD could hydrolyze branched CDs (G1-${\alpha}$-CD, G1-${\beta}$-CD, and G2-${\beta}$-CD) to yield significant amounts (45%, 40%, and 46%) of isomaltooligosaccharides (panose and $6^2$-${\alpha}$-maltosylmaltose) in addition to glucose and maltose. This enzyme is one of the most thermostable maltogenic amylases reported, and might be of potential value in the production of isomaltooligosaccharides in the food industry.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.671-677
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• 2011

A hyperthermophilic archaeon, $Thermococcus$ $onnurineus$ NA1 was studied to investigate its fermentation characteristics using various carbon sources including formate, maltose and carbon monoxide during the anaerobic batch cultivation at $80^{\circ}C$. Formate was the best carbon source for cell growth and hydrogen production among others. In the batch culture on formate, it was found that the cell concentration increased exponentially by 12 hrs of culture, after which the cell growth and formate consumption was retarded. Hydrogen production was continued more than 24 hrs although the cell growth was ceased at 18 hrs. Hydrogen production rate was directly correlated with the cell growth and formate degradation up to 18 hrs, and the average hydrogen production yield was 1.05 mole-$H_2$/mole-formate. Cell growth and hydrogen production were optimized at the initial pH 6-7, while inhibited at the initial pH lower than 5 and higher than 9.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.437-440
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• 2007

$OGL-20P^T$-358 is a novel 66 amino acid residue protein from the hyperthermophile Thermococcus thioreducens sp. nov., strain $OGL-20P^T$, which was collected from the wall of the hydrothermal black smoker in the Rainbow Vent along the mid-Atlantic ridge. This protein, which has no detectable sequence homology with proteins or domains of known function, has a calculated pI of 4.76 and a molecular mass of 8.2 kDa. We report here the backbone $^1H$, $^{15}N$, and $^{13}C$ resonance assignments of $OGL-20P^T$-358. Assignments are 97.5% (316/324) complete. Chemical shift index was used to determine the secondary structure of the protein, which appears to consist of primarily ${\alpha}$-helical regions. This work is the foundation for future studies to determine the three-dimensional solution structure of the protein.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.236-240
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• 2015

Previously we reported that the hyperthermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 is capable of producing hydrogen (H₂) from formate, CO or starch. In this study, we describe the immobilization of T. onnurineus NA1 as an alternative means of H₂ production. Amine-coated silica particles were effective in immobilizing T. onnurineus NA1 by electrostatic interaction, showing a maximum cell adsorption capacity of 71.7 mg-dried cells per g of particle. In three cycles of repeated-batch cultivation using sodium formate as the sole energy source, immobilized cells showed reproducible H₂ production with a considerable increase in the initial production rate from 2.3 to 4.0 mmol l⁻¹ h⁻¹, mainly due to the increase in the immobilized cell concentration as the batch culture was repeated. Thus, the immobilized-cell system of T. onnurineus NA1 was demonstrated to be feasible for H₂ production. This study is the first example of immobilized cells of hyperthermophilic archaea being used for the production of H₂.