Molecular adaptations specific to extreme halophilic archaea could promote high perchlorate tolerance.

ABSTRACT: Perchlorate is a strong chaotropic agent that causes macromolecule denaturation, DNA damage, and oxidative stress. However, perchlorate deliquescence is thought to promote the formation of liquid salt brines, even at hyper-arid and cold environments, such as the Martian regolith. For that reason, the detection of high levels of perchlorate at different locations on the Martian surface led to hypotheses about the existence of Martian microenvironments compatible with life, especially with those organisms tolerant to hyper-salinity and perchlorate. Extreme halophilic archaea have been proposed as the best candidates to inhabit those environments not only due to their high tolerance to salinity and perchlorate, but also because of their resistance to a wide variety of stress conditions. Since

SUBMITTER: Diaz-Rullo J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12175516 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature