Dictyoglomus

Dictyoglomus
Scientific classification
Domain: Bacteria
Kingdom: Pseudomonadati
Phylum: Dictyoglomerota
Patel 2021
Class: Dictyoglomeria
Patel 2012
Order: Dictyoglomerales
Patel 2012
Family: Dictyoglomeraceae
Patel 2012
Genus: Dictyoglomus
Saiki et al. 1985
Type species
Dictyoglomus thermophilum
Saiki et al. 1985
Other species
  • D. turgidum corrig. Svetlichny and Svetlichnayá 1995
Synonyms

Dictyoglomota:

  • "Dictyoglomaeota" Oren et al. 2015
  • "Dictyoglomi" Patel 2010
  • "Dictyoglomota" Whitman et al. 2018

Dictyoglomus is a genus of bacterium, given its own phylum, called the Dictyoglomerota. This organism is extremely thermophilic, meaning it thrives at extremely high temperatures. It is chemoorganotrophic, meaning it derives energy by metabolizing organic molecules. This organism is of interest because it elaborates an enzyme, xylanase, which digests xylan, a heteropolymer of the pentose sugar xylose. By pretreating wood pulp with this enzyme, paper manufacturers can achieve comparable levels of whiteness with much less chlorine bleach.

It has been described as gram-negative, with a triple-layered wall.