Solutes determine the temperature windows for microbial survival and growth
Solutes determine the temperature windows for microbial survival and growth
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DOI：
10.1073/pnas.1000557107
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发表时间：
2010-04-27
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
Hallsworth, John E.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Chin, Jason P.;Megaw, Julianne;Hallsworth, John E.
微生物细胞，最终是地球生物圈，在有限的物理化学条件下运作。对于大多数生态系统来说，生产力是受冷限制的，而微生物代表着故障点。这项研究是为了确定自然产生的溶质是否可以延长微生物活动的温度窗口。我们发现，已知的无序细胞大分子(杂交菌)的物质确实扩大了微生物的生长窗口，真菌在低温下优先积累杂交性代谢物，溶质的化学活性决定了微生物在极端温度和压力下的生存。这些信息可以提高用于预测外星和其他恶劣环境是否能够维持生命的模型的精确度；此外，杂波可能被用来延长寒冷生态系统和人造生物群中关键微生物的生长窗口，如腐生菌。
Microbial cells, and ultimately the Earth's biosphere, function within a narrow range of physicochemical conditions. For the majority of ecosystems, productivity is cold-limited, and it is microbes that represent the failure point. This study was carried out to determine if naturally occurring solutes can extend the temperature windows for activity of microorganisms. We found that substances known to disorder cellular macromolecules (chaotropes) did expand microbial growth windows, fungi preferentially accumulated chaotropic metabolites at low temperature, and chemical activities of solutes determined microbial survival at extremes of temperature as well as pressure. This information can enhance the precision of models used to predict if extraterrestrial and other hostile environments are able to support life; furthermore, chaotropes may be used to extend the growth windows for key microbes, such as saprotrophs, in cold ecosystems and manmade biomes.