Pyrolobus fumarii

Pyrolobus fumarii (Latin for "fire lobe of the chimney"[1]) is a species of archaea known for living and reproducing at extremely high temperatures that kill most organisms.It was first discovered in 1997 in a black smoker hydrothermal vent at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, setting the upper-temperature threshold for known life to exist at 113 °C (235.4 °F) with an optimal temperature of 106 °C.A study found that P. fumarii contained capabilities of growing by thiosulfate reduction, however, with NH4Cl present, the archaea growth resulted in a fivefold yield.[2] For P. fumarii reduction of succinyl-CoA, which is used in the process of generating energy in the cell, does not rely on NAD(p)H but instead requires reduced methyl viologen.[6] Understanding the ability of P. fumarii to withstand high temperatures and its genome capabilities to be thermostable and heat-tolerant could lead to many pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial applications.
Electron microscope images of Pyrolobus fumarii after Epon embedding and freeze-substitution.
Scanning Electron Micrograph of Pyrolobus fumarii
Scientific classificationArchaeaThermoproteotaThermoproteiDesulfurococcalesPyrodictiaceaeBinomial namehyperthermophilechemolithoautotrophblack smoker hydrothermalMid-Atlantic Ridgeacetatepyruvateterminal electron acceptorsuccinyl-CoANAD(p)HP. furiosusS-layerdietherbioremediationProQuestExtremophilesAcidophileAlkaliphileCapnophileEndolithHalophileHypolithLipophileLithoautotrophLithophileMethanogenMetallotolerantOligotrophOsmophilePiezophilePolyextremophilePsammophilePsychrophileRadioresistantThermophileThermoacidophileXerophileBacteriaChloroflexus aurantiacusDeinococcus radioduransDeinococcotaSnottiteThermus aquaticusThermus thermophilusSpirochaeta americanaGFAJ-1Pyrococcus furiosusStrain 121Thermococcus gammatoleransEukaryotaCyanidioschyzon merolaeGaldieria sulphurariaParalvinella sulfincolaHalicephalobus mephistoPompeii wormAbiogenic petroleum originAcidithiobacillalesAcidobacteriotaAcidophiles in acid mine drainageArchaeoglobaceaeBerkeley PitBlood FallsGrylloblattidaeHalobacteriaHalobacteriumHelaeomyia petroleiHydrothermal ventMethanopyrusMovile CaveRadiotrophic fungusRio TintoTardigradeTaq polymeraseThermostabilityThermotogotaWikidataWikispeciesBacDiveOpen Tree of Life