Cold adaptation of archaeal elongation factor 2 (EF-2) proteins.
Cell growth at low temperature is dependent on the ability of cells to perform protein synthesis. Cold adapted micro-organisms (psychrophilic or psychrotolerant) have a superior ability to perform translation at low temperature. This review addresses cold adaptation of protein synthesis in Archaea by examining what is presently known about thermal adaptation of elongation factor 2 (EF-2) proteins from Archaea. Despite the knowledge that Archaea are abundant in cold environments (e.g. the ocean), few cold adapted species have been isolated and studied. As a result this review is largely confined to comparative analyses of EF-2 proteins from psychrotolerant (Methanococcoides burtonii) and thermophilic (Methanosarcina thermophila) methanogens. A key finding from these studies is that in addition to inherent properties of the EF-2 proteins, intracellular factors (e.g. ribosomes and intracellular solutes) play a central role in thermal adaptation.
Thomas
Torsten
T
School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, UNSW, 2052, Australia. t.thomas@unsw.edu.au
Cavicchioli
Ricardo
R
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D001105:Archaea / Q000502:physiology*; D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D003081:Cold Climate; D003080:Cold Temperature; D017015:Methanococcales / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D017020:Methanosarcina / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D020652:Peptide Elongation Factor 2 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity
D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D020652:Peptide Elongation Factor 2