Chloracidobacterium

The organism Candidatus Chloracidobacterium thermophilum was initially detected through the bioinformatics analyses of metagenomic sequence data from the microbial mats collected from a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park.[4] It was later isolated after the inhibition of Synechococcus sp. in the microbial mats samples, leading to a co-culture C. thermophilum, Anoxybacillus sp. and Meiothermus species. C. thermophilum was plated on Midnight Medium (CTM) media to culture it for pure isolation. Genomic sequencing of the bacterium revealed that it did not contain genes for the enzymes to reduce sulfate, yet it was dependent on a reduced sulfur source. The researchers likely speculated that it shared a mutualistic relationship with the cocultures of Meiothermus sp. and Anoxybacillus sp. for access to reduced sulfur sources. In addition, the bacterium was determined to be aerophilic, moderately thermophilic, anoxygenic and photoheterotrophic. Ultimately, they found that it is dependent on a reduced sulfur source, bicarbonate, L-lysine and vitamin B₁₂ for pre culture isolation.[4]