Hopanoid-free Methylobacterium extorquens DM4 overproduces carotenoids and has widespread growth impairment.

ABSTRACT: Hopanoids are sterol-like membrane lipids widely used as geochemical proxies for bacteria. Currently, the physiological role of hopanoids is not well understood, and this represents one of the major limitations in interpreting the significance of their presence in ancient or contemporary sediments. Previous analyses of mutants lacking hopanoids in a range of bacteria have revealed a range of phenotypes under normal growth conditions, but with most having at least an increased sensitivity to toxins and osmotic stress. We employed hopanoid-free strains of Methylobacterium extorquens DM4, uncovering severe growth defects relative to the wild-type under many tested conditions, including normal growth conditions without additional stressors. Mutants overproduce carotenoids-the other major isopr

SUBMITTER: Bradley AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5358736 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature