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Life at high temperatures
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TLDR
Water environments with temperatures up to and above boiling are commonly found in association with geothermal activity, and only bacteria are found, while thermophilic organisms and their enzymes have many potential biotechnological uses, and extensive research on industrial applications is under way.Abstract:
Water environments with temperatures up to and above boiling are commonly found in association with geothermal activity. At temperatures above 60 degrees C, only bacteria are found. Bacteria with temperature optima over the range 65 degrees to 105 degrees C have been obtained in pure culture and are the object of many research projects. The upper temperature limit for life in liquid water has not yet been defined, but is likely to be somewhere between 110 degrees and 200 degrees C, since amino acids and nucleotides are destroyed at temperatures over 200 degrees C. Because bacteria capable of growth at high temperatures are found in many phylogenetic groups, it is likely that the ability to grow at high temperature had a polyphyletic origin. The macromolecules of these organisms are inherently more stable to heat than those of conventional organisms, but only small changes in sequence can lead to increases in thermostability. Because of their unique properties, thermophilic organisms and their enzymes have many potential biotechnological uses, and extensive research on industrial applications is under way.read more
Citations
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Metagenomics: Application of Genomics to Uncultured Microorganisms
TL;DR: Reassembly of multiple genomes has provided insight into energy and nutrient cycling within the community, genome structure, gene function, population genetics and microheterogeneity, and lateral gene transfer among members of an uncultured community.
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Hyperthermophilic Enzymes: Sources, Uses, and Molecular Mechanisms for Thermostability
Claire Vieille,Gregory J. Zeikus +1 more
TL;DR: This review concentrates on the remarkable thermostability of hyperthermophilic enzymes, and describes the biochemical and molecular properties of these enzymes, which are typically thermostable and optimally active at high temperatures.
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Physiological Implications of Hydrogen Sulfide: A Whiff Exploration That Blossomed
TL;DR: The important life-supporting role of hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) has evolved from bacteria to plants, invertebrates, vertebrate, vertebrates, and finally to mammals, but over the centuries it had only been known for its toxicity and environmental hazard.
Journal ArticleDOI
Temperature Tolerances of North American Freshwater Fishes Exposed to Dynamic Changes in Temperature
TL;DR: This review has summarized published research concerning the tolerance of North American freshwater fishes to dynamic changes in temperature, i.e., tolerance is tested by methods that gradually change temperatures until biological stress is observed.
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Thermophilic Fungi: Their Physiology and Enzymes
TL;DR: This review, for the first time, compiles information on the physiology and enzymes of thermophilic fungi and indicates that eukaryotic thermophily involves several mechanisms of stabilization of enzymes or optimization of their activity, with different mechanisms operating for different enzymes.
References
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