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Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Anaerobic Growth and Maintenance of Mammalian Cell Lines
Published on: July 21, 2018
Oxygen-mediated growth enhancement of an obligate anaerobic archaeon Thermococcus onnurineus NA1
Seong Hyuk Lee1, Hwan Youn2, Sung Gyun Kang3,4
1Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan, 49111, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Thermococcus onnurineus NA1, an obligate anaerobic hyperthermophilic archaeon, showed variable oxygen (O2) sensitivity depending on the types of substrate employed as an energy source. Unexpectedly, the culture with yeast extract as a sole energy source showed enhanced growth by 2-fold in the presence of O2. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis revealed the upregulation of several antioxidant-related genes encoding thioredoxin peroxidase (TON_0862), rubrerythrin (TON_0864), rubrerythrin-related protein (TON_0873), NAD(P)H rubredoxin oxidoreductase (TON_0865), or thioredoxin reductase (TON_1603), which can couple the detoxification of reactive oxygen species with the regeneration of NAD(P)+ from NAD(P)H. We present a plausible mechanism by which O2 serves to maintain the intracellular redox balance. This study demonstrates an unusual strategy of an obligate anaerobe underlying O2-mediated growth enhancement despite not having heme-based or cytochrome-type proteins.
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