title: Engineering desiccation tolerance in Escherichia coli.
abstract: Recombinant sucrose-6-phosphate synthase (SpsA) was synthesized in Escherichia coli BL21DE3 by using the spsA gene of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803. Transformants exhibited a 10,000-fold increase in survival compared to wild-type cells following either freeze-drying, air drying, or desiccation over phosphorus pentoxide. The phase transition temperatures and vibration frequencies (P==O stretch) in phospholipids suggested that sucrose maintained membrane fluidity during cell dehydration.
authors.affiliation: Virginia Tech Center for Genomics (VIGEN), Fralin Biotechnology Center, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Billi
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Helm
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Prickett
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Potts
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Crowe
mesh_terms: D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D003890:Desiccation; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D005612:Freeze Drying; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017553:Phosphorus Compounds; D013395:Sucrose / Q000378:metabolism; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D017553:Phosphorus Compounds; C012500:phosphorus pentoxide; D013395:Sucrose; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; C022698:sucrose-phosphate synthase