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The genome sequence of the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus

Nature Biotechnology volume 22, pages 547–553 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Thermus thermophilus HB27 is an extremely thermophilic, halotolerant bacterium, which was originally isolated from a natural thermal environment in Japan. This organism has considerable biotechnological potential; many thermostable proteins isolated from members of the genus Thermus are indispensable in research and in industrial applications. We present here the complete genome sequence of T. thermophilus HB27, the first for the genus Thermus. The genome consists of a 1,894,877 base pair chromosome and a 232,605 base pair megaplasmid, designated pTT27. The 2,218 identified putative genes were compared to those of the closest relative sequenced so far, the mesophilic bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans. Both organisms share a similar set of proteins, although their genomes lack extensive synteny. Many new genes of potential interest for biotechnological applications were found in T. thermophilus HB27. Candidates include various proteases and key enzymes of other fundamental biological processes such as DNA replication, DNA repair and RNA maturation.

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Figure 1: Maps of the chromosome and plasmid of T. thermophilus HB27.
Figure 2: Comparison of the chromosome of T. thermophilus HB27 with chromosome I of D. radiodurans R1.
Figure 3: The carotenoid and the cobalamin biosynthesis pathways in T. thermophilus HB27.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Reinhard Sterner and Wolfgang Liebl for advice and discussions that helped to shape this project. We thank Takayuki Hoshino for strain confirmation. This work was supported by a grant of the Niedersächisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur to the Göttingen Genomics Laboratory and by funds of the Competence Network Göttingen “Genome Research on Bacteria” financed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

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Author notes

  1. Holger Brüggemann

    Present address: Institut Pasteur, 25–28, Rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris, Cedex 15, France

  2. Carsten Raasch

    Present address: Variom Biotechnology AG, Robert-Koch-Platz 11, 10115, Berlin, Germany

  3. Thomas Hartsch

    Present address: Genedata, Maulbeerstrasse 46, 4016, Basel, Switzerland

  4. Andre Johann

    Present address: Ministerium für Umwelt, Keplerstrasse 18, 66117, Saarbrücken, Germany

  5. Rosa Martinez-Arias

    Present address: GBF Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Forschung mbH, Mascheroder Weg 1, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany

  6. Carsten Jacobi

    Present address: BASF Aktiengesellschaft, ZHV-A 030, 67056, Ludwigshafen, Germany

  7. Vytaute Starkuviene

    Present address: EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany

  8. Hans-Peter Klenk

    Present address: e.gene Biotechnologie GmbH, Pöckinger Fussweg 7a, 82340, Feldafing, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, Göttingen, 37077, Germany

    Anke Henne, Holger Brüggemann, Carsten Raasch, Arnim Wiezer, Thomas Hartsch, Heiko Liesegang, Andre Johann, Tanja Lienard, Olivia Gohl, Rosa Martinez-Arias, Carsten Jacobi, Vytaute Starkuviene, Silke Dencker, Hans-Peter Klenk, Gerhard Gottschalk & Hans-Joachim Fritz

  2. Department of Molecular Genetics and Preparative Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, Göttingen, 37077, Germany

    Silke Schlenczeck, Wilfried Kramer, Rainer Merkl & Hans-Joachim Fritz

  3. Department of General and Applied Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, Göttingen, 37077, Germany

    Tanja Lienard & Gerhard Gottschalk

  4. University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, Regensburg, 93053, Germany

    Robert Huber

  5. Institut Pasteur, 25–28, Rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris, Cedex 15, France

    Carsten Raasch, Thomas Hartsch, Andre Johann, Rosa Martinez-Arias, Carsten Jacobi, Vytaute Starkuviene & Hans-Peter Klenk

  6. Variom Biotechnology AG, Robert-Koch-Platz 11, 10115, Berlin, Germany

    Holger Brüggemann, Thomas Hartsch, Andre Johann, Rosa Martinez-Arias, Carsten Jacobi, Vytaute Starkuviene & Hans-Peter Klenk

  7. Genedata, Maulbeerstrasse 46, 4016, Basel, Switzerland

    Holger Brüggemann, Carsten Raasch, Andre Johann, Rosa Martinez-Arias, Carsten Jacobi, Vytaute Starkuviene & Hans-Peter Klenk

  8. Ministerium für Umwelt, Keplerstrasse 18, 66117, Saarbrücken, Germany

    Holger Brüggemann, Carsten Raasch, Thomas Hartsch, Rosa Martinez-Arias, Carsten Jacobi, Vytaute Starkuviene & Hans-Peter Klenk

  9. GBF Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Forschung mbH, Mascheroder Weg 1, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany

    Holger Brüggemann, Carsten Raasch, Thomas Hartsch, Andre Johann, Carsten Jacobi, Vytaute Starkuviene & Hans-Peter Klenk

  10. BASF Aktiengesellschaft, ZHV-A 030, 67056, Ludwigshafen, Germany

    Holger Brüggemann, Carsten Raasch, Thomas Hartsch, Andre Johann, Rosa Martinez-Arias, Vytaute Starkuviene & Hans-Peter Klenk

  11. EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany

    Holger Brüggemann, Carsten Raasch, Thomas Hartsch, Andre Johann, Rosa Martinez-Arias, Carsten Jacobi & Hans-Peter Klenk

  12. e.gene Biotechnologie GmbH, Pöckinger Fussweg 7a, 82340, Feldafing, Germany

    Holger Brüggemann, Carsten Raasch, Thomas Hartsch, Andre Johann, Rosa Martinez-Arias, Carsten Jacobi & Vytaute Starkuviene

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  1. Anke Henne
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Correspondence to Anke Henne.

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Henne, A., Brüggemann, H., Raasch, C. et al. The genome sequence of the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus. Nat Biotechnol 22, 547–553 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt956

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