title: Molecular adaptations to psychrophily: the impact of 'omic' technologies.
abstract: The ability of cold-adapted microorganisms (generally referred to as psychrophiles) to survive is the result of molecular evolution and adaptations which, together, counteract the potentially deleterious effects of low kinetic energy environments and the freezing of water. These physiological adaptations are seen at many levels. Against a background of detailed comparative protein structural analyses, the recent surge of psychrophile proteome, genome, metagenome and transcriptome sequence data has triggered a series of sophisticated analyses of changes in global protein composition. These studies have revealed consistent and statistically robust changes in amino acid composition, interpreted as evolutionary mechanisms designed to destabilise protein structures, as well as identifying the presence of novel genes involved in cold adaptation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casanueva
authors.forename: Marla
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tuffin
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cary
authors.forename: Don A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cowan
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D021301:Antifreeze Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003081:Cold Climate; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005615:Freezing; D023281:Genomics; D056186:Metagenomics; D040901:Proteomics
chemical_list: D021301:Antifreeze Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins