Another extreme genome: how to live at pH 0.
Many Archaea live under conditions that challenge the physico-chemical limits to life: low or high temperature, extremes of pH, elevated pressure and high salt concentration. A recent paper reports the genome sequence of another record-setting archaeon, Picrophilus torridus, that thrives at 65 degrees C and pH 0. The genomic sequence provides several hints of the mechanisms used for adaptation to such hostile environment, but most secrets remain hidden and await further analysis to be disclosed.
Ciaramella
Maria
M
Institute of Protein Biochemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy. m.ciaramella@ibp.cnr.it
Napoli
Alessandra
A
Rossi
Mosè
M
D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics; D020745:Genome, Archaeal; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D020543:Proteome / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D019603:Thermoplasmales / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
D019641:DNA, Archaeal; D020543:Proteome