Isolation and characterization of a marine iron-oxidizing bacterium requiring NaC1 for growth

An iron-oxidizing bacterium was isolated from seawater, and designated strain KU2-11. The strain KU2-11 was a Gram negative, non-spore-forming and rod-shaped bacterium. Strain KU2-11 can grow autotrophically by using ferrous iron and elemental sulfur as sole energy sources. The bacterium obligately required NaC1 for growth.The optimum NaC1 concentration was 2%. Optimum growth pH and temperature were 2 and 30°C, respectively. G+C content of the DNA was 59 mol%. An iron-oxidizing activity of the bacterium also depended on the NaC1 concentration. The role of NaC1 for this bacterium was investigated. The maintenance of cell morphology is necessary for both the growth and iron-oxidizing activity.NaC1 played an important role in maintaining the morphology of this bacterium.