When Thermoanaerobacter italicus Ab9 was isolated, this strain represented the first known thermophilic anaerobe to encode pectate lyase enzymes (1). Pectin, a complex heteropolysaccharide composed of D-galacturonic acid and L-rhamnose (and other sugar monomers), is a major component of plant cell walls (particularly citrus) where it serves as a matrix in which hemicellulose is embedded (1). T. italicus grows well on pectin, glucose and xylose, with ethanol and organic acids as the major end products (1).

Reference

1. Kozianowski, G., Canganella, F., Rainey, F. A., Hippe, H. & Antranikian, G. (1997) Extremophiles 1, 171-182.

Above paragraph from - Hemme, Christopher L., et al., Genomic Sequencing of Multiple Species of Class Clostridia Relevant to the Production of Bioethanol from Cellulosic Feedstocks Submitted by: The Clostridia Sequencing Consortium (CSC).