Methanothermococcus okinawensis

Methanothermococcus okinawensis is a thermophilic, methane-producing archaeon first isolated from deep-sea hydrothermal vent on the western Pacific Ocean. Its cells are highly motile, irregular cocci, with a polar bundle of flagella. Its type strain is IH1^T (=JCM 11175^T =DSM 14208^T).^[1] It grows at an optimal temperature of 60–65 °C and pH of 6.7. It is strictly anaerobic and reduces carbon dioxide with hydrogen to produce methane, but it can also use formate.^[1] Research studies indicate that it might be able to survive extreme conditions in solar system's other bodies, such as Saturn's moon Enceladus.^[2]

Methanothermococcus okinawensis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Archaea
Kingdom:	Methanobacteriati
Phylum:	Methanobacteriota
Class:	Methanococci
Order:	Methanococcales
Family:	Methanococcaceae
Genus:	Methanothermococcus
Species:	M. okinawensis
Binomial name
Methanothermococcus okinawensis Takai et al. 2002

See also

• Methanogens