Structural adaptation of extreme halophilic proteins through decrease of conserved hydrophobic contact surface.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Halophiles are extremophilic microorganisms growing optimally at high salt concentrations. There are two strategies used by halophiles to maintain proper osmotic pressure in their cytoplasm: accumulation of molar concentrations of potassium and chloride with extensive adaptation of the intracellular macromolecules ("salt-in" strategy) or biosynthesis and/or accumulation of organic osmotic solutes ("osmolyte" strategy). Our work was aimed at contributing to the understanding of the shared molecular mechanisms of protein haloadaptation through a detailed and systematic comparison of a sample of several three-dimensional structures of halophilic and non-halophilic proteins. Structural differences observed between the "salt-in" and the mesophilic homologous proteins were con

SUBMITTER: Siglioccolo A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3293032 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature