Summary
Experimental work published elsewhere has shown that the Archaebacteria encompass several distinct subgroups including methanogens, extreme halophiles, and various thermoacidophiles. The common chacteristics of Archaebacteria known to date are these: (1) the presence of characteristic tRNAs and ribosomal RNAs; (2) the absence of peptidogly can cell walls, with in many cases, replacement by a largely proteinaceous coat; (3) the occurrence of ether linked lipids built from phytanyl chains and (4) in all cases known so far, their occurrence only in unusual habitats.
These organisms contain a number of ‘eucaryotic features’ in addition to their many bacterial attributes. This is interpreted as a strong indication that the Archaebacteria, while not actually eucaryotic, do indeed represent a third separate, line of descent as originally proposed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Balch, W.E., Magrum, L.J., Fox, G.E., Wolfe, R.S., Woese, C.R. (1977). J. Mol. Evol.9, 305
Baumstark, B., Hack, J., Heckman, J., Bayley, S., RajBhandary, U.L. (in press)
Best, A.N. (1978). J. Bacteriol.133, 240
Brierley, C.L., Brierley, J.A. (1973). Can. J. Microbiol.19, 183
Brock, T.D., Brock, D.M., Belly, R.T., Weiss, R.L. (1972). Arch. Mikrobiol.84, 54
Brown, A.D., Cho, K.Y. (1970). J. Gen. Microbiol.62, 267
Brown, A.D., Shorey, C.D. (1963). J. Cell Biol.18, 681
Cheeseman, P., Toms-Wood, A., Wolfe,R.S. (1972). J. Bacteriol.112, 527
Darland, G., Brock, T.D., Samsonoff, W., Conti, S.F. (1970). Science170, 1416
Fox, G.E., Magrum, L.J., Balch, W.E., Wolfe, R.S., Woese, C.R. (1977). Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA74, 4537
Fox, G.E., Woese, C.R. (1975a). J. Mol. Evol.6, 61
Fox, G.E., Woese, C.R. (1975b). Nature256, 505
Jones, J.B., Bowers, B., Stadtman, T.C. (1977). J. Bacteriol.130, 1357
Joshi, J.G., Guild, W.R., Handler, P. (1963). J. Mol. Biol.6, 34
Kandler, O., König, H. (1978). Arch. Microbiol. (in press)
Kandler, O., Hippe, H. (1977). Arch. Microbiol.113, 57
Kates, M. (1972). In Ether lipids, chemistry and biology. p. 352. New York: Academic Press
Kates, M., Palameta, B., Joo, C.N., Kushner, D.J., Gibbons, N.E., (1966). Biochem.5, 4092
Kushner, D.J., Onishi, H. (1968). Can. J. Biochem.46, 997
Langworthy, T.A., Mayberry, W.R., Smith, P.F. (1976). Biochem. Biophys. Acta431, 550
Langworthy, T.A., Mayberry, W.R., Smith, P.F. (1974). J. Bacteriol.119, 106
Langwotthy, T.A., Smith, P.F., Mayberry, W.R. (1972). J. Bacteriol.112, 1193
Lanyi, J.K., Hilliker, K. (1976). Biochim Biophys. Acta.448, 181
Magrum, L.J., Luehrsen, K.R., Woese, C.R. (1978). J. Mol. Evol.11, 1
Mah, R.A., Ward, D.M., Baresi, L., Glass, T.L. (1977). Ann. Rev. Microbiol.31, 309
Moore, R.L., McCarthy, B.J. (1969). J. Bacteriol.99, 248
Osterhelt, D., Stoeckenius, W. (1973). Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA70, 2853
Osterhelt, D., Stoeckenius, W. (1971). Nature New Biol.233, 149
Reistad, R. (1972). Arch. Mikrobiol.82, 24
deRosa, M., Gambacorta, A., Bu'Lock, J.D. (1976). Phytochem.15, 143
deRosa, M., Gambacorta, A., Bu'Lock, J.D. (1975). J. Gen. Microbiol.86, 156
Searcy, D.G., Stein, D., Green, G. (1978). Biosystems (in press)
Steber, J., Schleifer, K.H. (1975). Arch. Microbiol.105, 173
Taylor, C.D., Wolfe, R.S. (1974). J. Biol. Chem.249, 4879
Tornabene, T.G., Wolfe, R.S., Balch, W.E., Holzer, G., Fox, G.E., Oró, J. (1978). J. Mol. Evol.11, 259
Tsen, H.Y., RajBhandary, U.L. (in press)
Weiss, R.L. (1974). J. Bacteriol.118, 275
Woese, C.R. (1977). J. Mol. Evol.9, 369
Woese, C.R., Fox, G.E., (1977a). Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA74, 5088
Woese, C.R., Fox, G.E. (1977b). J. Mol. Evol.10, 1
Woese, C.R., Magrum, L.J., Leedle, R. (1978). Nature (submitted)
Wolfe, R.S. (1971). Adv. Microbiol. Physiol.6, 107
Zeikus, J.G. (1977). Bacteriol. Rev.41, 514
Zeikus, J.G., Fuchs, G., Kenealy, W., Thaner, R.K. (1977). J. Bacteriol.132, 604
Zeikus, J.G., Henning, D.L. (1975). J. Microbiol. Serol.41, 171
Zeikus, J.G., Wolfe, R.S. (1973). J. Bacteriol.113, 461
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Woese, C.R., Magrum, L.J. & Fox, G.E. Archaebacteria. J Mol Evol 11, 245–252 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01734485
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01734485