Mannosylglycerate and di-myo-inositol phosphate have interchangeable roles during adaptation of Pyrococcus furiosus to heat stress.

ABSTRACT: Marine hyperthermophiles accumulate small organic compounds, known as compatible solutes, in response to supraoptimal temperatures or salinities. Pyrococcus furiosus is a hyperthermophilic archaeon that grows optimally at temperatures near 100°C. This organism accumulates mannosylglycerate (MG) and di-myo-inositol phosphate (DIP) in response to osmotic and heat stress, respectively. It has been assumed that MG and DIP are involved in cell protection; however, firm evidence for the roles of these solutes in stress adaptation is still missing, largely due to the lack of genetic tools to produce suitable mutants of hyperthermophiles. Recently, such tools were developed for P. furiosus, making this organism an ideal target for that purpose. In this work, genes coding for the synthases in the b

SUBMITTER: Esteves AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4068688 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature