DESULFACINUM INFERNUM GEN-NOV, SP-NOV, A THERMOPHILIC SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIUM FROM A PETROLEUM RESERVOIR

A thermophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium, Desulfacinum infernum, is described, This bacterium was isolated from produced formation water from a North Sea petroleum reservoir, In liquid culture, the cells are oval, 1.5 by 2.5 to 3 mu m, nonmotile and gram negative, Spore formation has not been observed, Growth occurs at temperatures ranging from 40 to 65 degrees C, with optimum growth occurring at 60 degrees C, and at levels of salinity ranging from 0 to 54 g of NaCl per liter, with optimum growth occurring in the presence of 10 g of NaCl per liter, D. infernum grows on a range of organic acids, including formate, acetate, butyrate, and palmitate, and alcohols, D, infernum can grow autotrophically with H-2. A vitamin supplement is required for growth, Sulfite and thiosulfate are used as electron accepters, Sulfur and nitrate are not reduced, The DNA base composition is 64 mol% G+C, Phylogenetically, D. infernum clusters with members of the delta subdivision of the Proteobacteria, Its closest relatives are Syntrophobacter wolinii (level of similarity, 90.6%) and Desulfomonile tiedjei (level of similarity, 87.1%).