Molecular signatures for the phylum (class) Thermotogae and a proposal for its division into three orders (Thermotogales, Kosmotogales ord. nov. and Petrotogales ord. nov.) containing four families (Thermotogaceae, Fervidobacteriaceae fam. nov., Kosmotogaceae fam. nov. and Petrotogaceae fam. nov.) and a new genus Pseudothermotoga gen. nov. with five new combinations

All species from the phylum Thermotogae, class Thermotogae, are currently part of a single family, Thermotogaceae. Using genomic data from 17 Thermotogae species, detailed phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses were carried out to understand their evolutionary relationships and identify molecular markers that are indicative of species relationships within the phylum. In the 16S rRNA gene tree and phylogenetic trees based upon two …