Hydration shells with a pinch of salt.
The discovery of extreme halophile microorganisms in the Dead Sea, which are specifically dependent on a multimolar salt environment to survive, stimulated major developments in biology and physical chemistry. The minireview focuses on the molecular level. After a brief introduction to the history of halophile studies, protein and nucleic acid solvent interactions and their influence on macromolecular structure stabilization and dynamics are discussed.
CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale, F-38027 Grenoble, France; Institut Laue Langevin, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble, France. zaccai@ill.fr.
Giuseppe
G
Zaccai
D011506:Proteins; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
D011506:Proteins; D014867:Water; D012965:Sodium Chloride