| Salinibacter ruber | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Pseudomonadati |
| Phylum: | Rhodothermota |
| Class: | Rhodothermia |
| Order: | Rhodothermales |
| Family: | Salinibacteraceae |
| Genus: | Salinibacter |
| Species: | S. ruber |
| Binomial name | |
| Salinibacter ruber Antón et al., 2002 | |
Salinibacter ruber is anextremelyhalophilic redbacterium, first found in Spain in 2002.
Salinibacter ruber is most closely related to the genusRhodothermus which is athermophilic, slightly halophilic bacterium. Though genetically it is considered to be closest to the Rhodothermus genus, it is most comparable to the familyHalobacteriaceae, because of similarity in protein structure.[1] It is red-pigmented,motile,rod-shaped, andextremelyhalophilic. Thetype strain is strain M31T(= DSM 13855T = CECT 5946T).
Salinibacter ruber was found insalterncrystallizer ponds inAlicante andMallorca, Spain in 2002 by Antón et al. This environment hasvery high salt concentrations, andSalinibacter ruber itself cannot grow at below 15% salt concentration, with an ideal concentration between 20 and 30%[1] (i.e. 200-300 grams of salt per litre, theaverage concentration in the ocean being around 35 g/L). It has also been found inpink lakes in Australia.[2][3]
This bacterium is notable for its halophilic lifestyle, a trait exhibited primarily by members ofArchaea. In general, bacteria do not play a large role in microbial communities ofhypersaline brines at or approaching NaCl saturation. However, with the discovery ofS. ruber, this belief was challenged. It was found thatS. ruber made up from 5% to 25% of the total prokaryotic community of the Spanish saltern ponds.[1]
In a 2015 study conducted by researchers led bymolecular biologist Ken McGrath atLake Hillier,Western Australia, showed that, while the algaeDunaliella salina, formerly thought to create the color in thispink lake, was present in only tiny quantities (0.1% ofDNA sampled), whileS. ruber formed 20[2] to 33%[4][5][3][a] of the DNA recovered from the lake.[2]
Salinibacter ruber produces apigment calledbacterioruberin, which helps it to trap and use light for energy in thephotosynthesis process. While the pigments in algae are contained within thechloroplasts, bacterioruberin is spread across the whole cell of the bacterium. This makes it more likely that the colour of the lake is that ofS. ruber.[3]
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