''Chaetomium thermophilum'' is a thermophilic filamentous

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from th ...

. It grows on dung or compost (rotten organics). It is notable for being a eukaryote with a high temperature tolerance (60 °C). Its optimal growth temperature is 50–55 °C.

Research

Since fungi are eukaryotic and not distant from animals they are good models for comparative and easy-to-manipulate research, and in the case of ''C. thermophilum'', it is of special significance. First, given the fact it is thermophilic,

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

s derived from this fungus are heat stable and thus easier to work with. Proteins from ''C. thermophilum'' are thermophilic and thus better for studies (structural and biochemical) than comparable

mesophilic A mesophile is an organism that grows best in moderate temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, with an optimum growth range from . The optimum growth temperature for these organisms is 37°C. The term is mainly applied to microorganisms. Organi ...

fungi. Studying nuclear pore complex proteins, it was found that protein isolation was more abundant and more soluble than in yeast (yeast proteins precipitate at a lower temperature).

Genome and proteome

The genome of ''C. thermophilum'' has been completely sequenced. It spans 28.3 Mb and encodes 7227 predicted protein coding genes. ''

Saccharomyces cerevisiae ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'' () (brewer's yeast or baker's yeast) is a species of yeast (single-celled fungus microorganisms). The species has been instrumental in winemaking, baking, and brewing since ancient times. It is believed to have been o ...

'', a model yeast, has 73% protein homology to this fungus. The proteome of ''C. thermophilum'' has been studied and 27 distinct protein communities, including 108 interconnected complexes have been identified.

Model system for identifying higher-order protein interactions

The first observation of a metabolon in fatty acid metabolism at high resolution came from cryo-electron microscopic analysis of cellular homogenates from ''C. thermophilum''. Other protein complexes and higher-order interactions were predicted and validated using a novel integration of experimental and computational methods which include proteomics, cross-linking mass spectrometry, computational structural biology and electron microscopy. The cellular homogenates of ''C. thermophilum'' were used to derive protein complex structures at high resolution, with purity of the native protein complex < 40%.

References

External links

''Chaetomium thermophilum'' genome resourceEncyclopedia of Life
overview {{Taxonbar, from=Q10447720 thermophilum Fungi described in 1950