Strains and Genes that Facilitate the Genetic Manipulation of Hyperthermophiles

ApplicationGeneticallymodified hyperthermophile organisms and tools for their development. Organismssuitable for the production of biofuels, hydrogen and other chemicals throughdegradation of biomass  ProblemsAddressed    Itwould be difficult to overestimate the contribution of genetic manipulation tothe study of any bio-logical system, and it is an essential tool for themetabolic engineering of biosynthetic and substrate utilization pathways. Thisis particularly true for the archaea since, in spite of their environmental andindustrial importance, coupled with their unique molecular features, muchremains to be learned about their biology. The marine hyperthermophilicanaerobe Pyrococcus furiosus is of special interest not only for its ability togrow optimally at 100° C and the implications of this trait for its biology butalso for industrial applications of its enzymes, as well as its capacity toproduce hydrogen efficiently in a highly efficient manner. The development ofgenetic systems in the archaea, in general, presents many unique challengesgiven the extreme growth requirements of many of these organisms. To date,genetic systems of various levels of sophistication have been developed forrepresentatives of all ma-jor groups of archaea, including halophiles,methanogens, thermoacidophiles, and hyperthermophiles. One of the mostsignificant barriers to genetic manipulation of archaea, in general, andhyperthermophiles, in particular, is the lack of selectable markers. Antibioticselection strategies used in mesophilic bacteria are typically ineffectivebecause the molecular machineries of archaea are not affected by theantibiotic.

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