Rhodothermaeota
General information
Description and emendation
The phylum Rhodothermaeota has been circumscribed on the basis of the phylogeny of the 16S rRNA gene, the 23S rRNA gene, the phylogeny of the concatenated 16S and 23S rRNA markers, the MLSA of 29 orthologous proteins, the presence of characteristic indels in the proteins AtpD and AlaS, and characteristic signature nucleotides in their 16S rRNA sequence. It encompasses the classes Rhodothermia and Balneolia. The type class is Rhodothermia. Members are Gram-negative staining rods, aerobes or facultative anaerobes that require NaCl for growth, from marine or marine-related habitats, that often appear extremophilic with respect to salt, temperature or pH. Their G+C DNA content divides their two classes: Balneolia (39-49 mol%) and Rhodothermia (64-68 mol%).