Genome sequencing of Thermogladius shockii gen. nov., sp. nov., a hyperthermophilic crenarchaeote from Yellowstone National Park, USA.. Thermogladius shockii

Thermogladius shockii strain WB1 was isolated from a thermal pool in the Washburn hot spring group of Yellowstone National Park, USA. WB1 is a coccus, 0.6–1.2 μm in diameter, with a tetragonal S-layer, vacuoles, and occasional stalk-like protrusions, showing optimal growth at 84 °C. 16S rRNA analysis placed Thermogladius shokii in a clade of Desulfurococcaceae, demonstrating ≤96% 16S rRNA sequence identity to Desulfurococcus mobilis, Staphylothermus marinus, Staphylothermus hellenicus, and Sulfophobococcus zilligii. Growth is unaffected by the presence of S0 or SO4, thereby differentiating the isolate from its closest relatives. Based on phylogenetic and physiological differences, it was proposed that isolate WB1 represents the type strain of a novel genus and species within the Desulfurococcaceae, Thermogladius shockii gen. nov., sp. nov. Current sequencing project aimed to give genomic insights into metabolic and evolutionary features of T.shokii