TY - JOUR
T1 - Solutes determine the temperature windows for microbial survival and growth
AU - Chin, Jason P.
AU - Megaw, Julianne
AU - Magill, Caroline L.
AU - Nowotarski, Krzysztof
AU - Williams, James P.
AU - Bhaganna, Prashanth
AU - Linton, Mark
AU - Patterson, Margaret F.
AU - Underwood, Graham J.C.
AU - Mswaka, Allen Y.
AU - Hallsworth, John E.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77952375222&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1073/pnas.1000557107
DO - 10.1073/pnas.1000557107
M3 - Article
C2 - 20404182
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 107
SP - 7835
EP - 7840
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 17
ER -