Thermus thermophilus

Thermus thermophilus is a gram negative eubacterium used in a range of biotechnological applications, including as a model organism for genetic manipulation and systems biology. The bacterium is extremely thermophilic, with an optimal growth temperature of about 65ºC. Thermus thermophilus was originally isolated from a thermal vent environment in Japan. T. thermophilus is classified into several strains, in which HB8 and HB27 are most common and their genome analyses were independently completed in 2004.

Biotechnological applications of Thermus thermophilus enzymes

 * rTth DNA polymerase is a recombinant thermostable DNA polymerase derived from Thermus thermophilus, with optimal activity at 70-80ºC, used in some PCR applications. The enzyme possesses efficient reverse transcriptase activity in the presence of manganese.