Experimental and bioinformatic analyses of amino acid metabolism in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus

Pyrococcus furiosus is a hyperthermophilic archaeon that grows well on complex media containing peptides and various carbohydrates. Its growth on defined media is less well characterized. In this study, the growth of P. furiosus was investigated on various defined media. P. furiosus grows well on a defined medium containing all 20 amino acids. It also shows consistent growth on a defined medium containing arginine, cysteine, glycine, lysine, proline, and serine as the only amino acids. P. furiosus grows inconsistently in defined media with cysteine as the only amino acid. The experimental results are compared with bioinformatics data to better understand the amino acid biosynthesis capabilities of this fascinating organism. INDEX WORDS: archaea, hyperthermophile, Thermococcales, Pyrococcus furiosus, amino acid biosynthesis, amino acid anabolism, metabolism, defined medium EXPERIMENTAL AND BIOINFORMATIC ANALYSES OF AMINO ACID METABOLISM IN THE HYPERTHERMOPHILIC ARCHAEON PYROCOCCUS FURIOSUS