Pyrobaculum ferrireducens sp. nov., a hyperthermophilic Fe(III)-, selenate- and arsenate-reducing crenarchaeon isolated from a hot spring

A novel hyperthermophilic, anaerobic, archaeon was isolated from a terrestrial hot spring at Uzon Caldera, Kronotsky Nature Reserve, Kamchatka, Russia. The isolate, strain 1860T, grew optimally at 90–95 °C and pH 6.0–7.0. The cells were non-motile straight rods, 1.5–5.0 µm in length, covered with surface-layer lattice. Strain 1860T utilized complex proteinaceous compounds as electron donors and ferrihydrite, Fe(III) citrate, nitrate, thiosulfate, selenite, selenate and arsenate as electron acceptors for growth. The sequence of the 16S rRNA gene of strain 1860T had 97.9–98.7 % similarity with those of members of the genus Pyrobaculum . On the basis of its physiological properties and phylogenetic analyses including in silico genome to genome hybridization, the isolate is considered to represent a novel species, for which the name Pyrobaculum ferrireducens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 1860T ( = DSM 28942T = VKM B-2856T).

Liverworts of the Uzon Volcano caldera (Kronotsky Nature Reserve, Kamchatka)

Species composition of liverworts of unique natural feature of Kamchatka — Uzon Volcano caldera is listed. It includes 38 species. 29 of them are found for the first time for the Uzon caldera. Marsupella funckii, Nardia assamica, N. unispiralis included in Red Data Book of Kamchatka (2007).

To the lichen flora of the Kamchatian fir grove (Kronotsky Nature Reserve)

The fir (Abies gracilis) grove (Kamchatka Peninsula, Kronotsky State Nature Reserve) is a unique area for the northern part of the Russian Far East. As a result of revision of herbarium specimens and literature data a list of lichens of the fir grove was compiled, comprising 55 species. Of them, 27 species are new to the Kronotsky Reserve, 30 are firstly reported for the grove. Altogether 36 lichen epiphytes of Abies gracilis are known.