Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 12, 2026

Thermococcus profundus

Thermococcus profundus is a hyperthermophilic archaeon isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. It is coccoid-shaped with 1–2 μm in diameter, designated as strain DT5432.

Last revised
Jun 12, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
356 w
Citations
2
Source
Thermococcus profundus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Archaea
Kingdom: Methanobacteriati
Phylum: Methanobacteriota
Class: Thermococci
Order: Thermococcales
Family: Thermococcaceae
Genus: Thermococcus
Species:
T. profundus
Binomial name
Thermococcus profundus
Kobayashi and Horikoshi 1995

Thermococcus profundus is a hyperthermophilic archaeon isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. It is coccoid-shaped with 1–2 μm in diameter, designated as strain DT5432.1

One amylase isolated from T. profundus strain DT5432 was found to function at an optimal temperature of 80 °C. The scientists who extracted it speculate that it may have applications in the starch industry because of its heat tolerance and lack of any need for metal ions.2

References

References

  1. Kobayashi, Tetsuo; Kwak, Yi Seong; Akiba, Teruhiko; Kudo, Toshiaki; Horikoshi, Koki (1994). "Thermococcus profundus sp. nov., A New Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Isolated from a Deep-sea Hydrothermal Vent". Systematic and Applied Microbiology. 17 (2): 232–236. doi:10.1016/S0723-2020(11)80013-5. ISSN 0723-2020.
  2. Y. C. Chung; T. Kobayashi; H. Kanai; T. Akiba; T. Kudo (April 1995). "Purification and Properties of Extracellular Amylase from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Thermococcus profundus DT5432". Appl Environ Microbiol. 61 (4): 1502–1506. Bibcode:1995ApEnM..61.1502C. doi:10.1128/AEM.61.4.1502-1506.1995. PMC 1388417. PMID 16534999.
Further reading

Further reading

  • Kawakami, Ryushi; Sakuraba, Haruhiko; Ohshima, Toshihisa (2004). "Gene and primary structures of dye-linked l-proline dehydrogenase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus profundus show the presence of a novel heterotetrameric amino acid dehydrogenase complex". Extremophiles. 8 (2): 99–108. doi:10.1007/s00792-003-0368-x. ISSN 1431-0651. PMID 15064976. S2CID 23460507.
External links