Novel thermophilic hot spring Bacterial populations. hot springs metagenome

The objectives of this study were to characterize four de novo bacterial genomic assemblies produced from two circum-neutral (pH ~8), high temperature (~80 oC) hot spring 'streamer' filament metagenomes from Yellowstone National Park that represented three phylotypes. Analysis of conserved phylogenetic marker genes indicated that two of the three phylotypes represent separate novel groups of a candidate phylum (proposed name ‘Pyropristinus’). The third phylotype falls within the proposed Calescamantes division (from Great Boiling Spring, NV). Metabolic reconstructions of the 'Pyropristinus' and Calescamantes populations from YNP showed that these organisms are chemoorganoheterotrophs. Further, all three phylotypes have the genomic potential for aerobic respiration and oxidative phosphorylation. A survey of similar phylotypes (> 97% nt identity) within 16S rRNA gene datasets from YNP indicated that the newly described organisms are restricted to terrestrial thermal springs ranging from 70-90 oC and springs with pH from approximately 7 - 9.