Acetoanaerobium noterae gen. nov., sp. nov.: an Anaerobic Bacterium That Forms Acetate from H2 and CO2

Abstract

An anaerobic bacterium which produced acetate from H2 and CO2 was isolated. The rod-shaped cells were not lysed by KOH, did not hydrolyze l-alanine-4-nitroanilide, and stained gram negative. However, the cell wall did not resemble a gram-negative wall in structure; it was comprised of two layers. The cells were motile by means of three or four peritrichous flagella. Yeast extract was required for both chemoorganotrophic and chemolithotrophic growth; yeast extract, glucose, maltose, or H2-CO2 could serve as a substrate for growth. Strain NOT-3T (T = type strain) grew best at 37°C and pH 7.6 to 7.8. The deoxyribonucleic acid base composition was 36.8 mol% guanine plus cytosine. Strain NOT-3 (= ATCC 35199) is named Acetoanaerobium noterae gen. nov., sp. nov. and is the type strain of this new species.