Abstract
Al.ka.li'phil.us. N.L. n. alkali alkali; Gr. adj. philos loving; N.L. masc. n. alkaliphilus bacterium liking alkaline environments.
Firmicutes / “Clostridia” / Clostridiales / Clostridiaceae / Alkaliphilus
Straight to slightly curved rods, 0.4–0.7 × 2.0–6.0 µm. Gram-stain-positive and endosporeforming. The cells exhibit motility with flagella. Slightly halophilic and mesophilic with optimum growth at 35–40 °C. Strictly anaerobic, and neutrophilic to alkaliphilic heterotrophs. Proteinaceous substrates such as yeast extract, peptone, and tryptone are utilized as energy and carbon sources. Fermentation and/or respiration of organic substrates in the presence and/or absence of the electron acceptors such as S0 , thiosulfate, fumarate, crotonate, Fe(III), Co(III), or Cr (VI) supports growth. Predominant cellular fatty acids are variable among the species but C14:0, C14:1, C15:0 iso, C16:0, C16:1 ω7c are major components. Cell walls contain m-diaminopimelic acid, glycine, aspartate, glutamate, and ribose. Isolated from a deep-subsurface alkaline environment, an aerobic digester of wastewater, and a boron-rich leachate pond.
DNA G+C content (mol%): 30.6–36.4.
Type species: Alkaliphilus transvaalensis Takai, Moser, Onstott, Spoelstra, Pfiffner, Dohnalkova and Fredrickson 2001, 1245VP.
