AUTHOR=Hileman Travis H., Santangelo Thomas J.

TITLE=Genetics Techniques for Thermococcus kodakarensis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2012

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2012.00195

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2012.00195

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Thermococcus kodakarensis</italic> (<italic>T. kodakarensis</italic>) has emerged as a premier model system for studies of archaeal biochemistry, genetics, and hyperthermophily. This prominence is derived largely from the natural competence of <italic>T. kodakarensis</italic> and the comprehensive, rapid, and facile techniques available for manipulation of the <italic>T. kodakarensis</italic> genome. These genetic capacities are complemented by robust planktonic growth, simple selections, and screens, defined <italic>in vitro</italic> transcription and translation systems, replicative expression plasmids, <italic>in vivo</italic> reporter constructs, and an ever-expanding knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms underlying <italic>T. kodakarensis</italic> metabolism. Here we review the existing techniques for genetic and biochemical manipulation of <italic>T. kodakarensis</italic>. We also introduce a universal platform to generate the first comprehensive deletion and epitope/affinity tagged archaeal strain libraries.</p>