Acidisphaera

Acidisphaera is a genus in the phylum Proteobacteria (Bacteria). The genus contains a single species,^[1] namely A. rubrifaciens with the following characteristics:^[2]

• strictly aerobic, light preferred
• mesophilic
• acidophilic (3.5–6.0 pH, optima of 4.5-5.0)
• bacteriochlorophyll (BChl a) and carotenoids production (salmon-pink colonies), the former contained zinc if grown in the presence of 1 mM zinc sulfate.
• chemo-organotrophic
• Gram-negative, as expected from a proteobacterium
• isolated from acidic hot springs and mine drainage
• non-motile
• cocci / coccobacilli
• Part of the major acidophilic alphaproteobacterial group with the genera Acidiphilium and Rhodopila

Etymology

The name Acidisphaera derives from:
New Latin noun acidum (from Latin adjective acidus, sour), an acid; Latin feminine gender noun sphaera, a ball, globe, sphere; New Latin feminine gender noun Acidisphaera, acid (-requiring) coccoid microorganism.^[1]
While the specific epithet rubrifaciens comes from the Latin adjective ruber -bra -brum, red; Latin v. facio, to make; New Latin participle adjective rubrifaciens, red-producing.)^[1]

See Also

• Bacterial taxonomy
• Microbiology

References