Lipid accumulation in prokaryotic microorganisms from arid habitats.
This review shall provide support for the suitability of arid environments as preferred location to search for unknown lipid-accumulative bacteria. Bacterial lipids are attracting more and more attention as sustainable replacement for mineral oil in fuel and plastic production. The development of prokaryotic microorganisms in arid desert habitats is affected by its harsh living conditions. Drought, nutrient limitation, strong radiation, and extreme temperatures necessitate effective adaption mechanisms. Accumulation of storage lipids as energy reserve and source of metabolic water represents a common adaption in desert animals and presumably in desert bacteria and archaea as well. Comparison of corresponding literature resulted in several bacterial species from desert habitats, which had already been described as lipid-accumulative elsewhere. Based on the gathered information, literature on microbial communities in hot desert, cold desert, and humid soil were analyzed on its content of lipid-accumulative bacteria. With more than 50% of the total community size in single studies, hot deserts appear to be more favorable for lipid-accumulative species then humid soil (≤20%) and cold deserts (≤17%). Low bacterial lipid accumulation in cold deserts is assumed to result from the influence of low temperatures on fatty acids and the increased necessity of permanent adaption methods.
Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 3, D-48149, Münster, Germany.
Philippa
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3680-2999
P
Hauschild
Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 3, D-48149, Münster, Germany.
Annika
A
Röttig
Environmental Sciences Department, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia.
Mohamed H
MH
Madkour
Environmental Sciences Department, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed M
AM
Al-Ansari
Environmental Sciences Department, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia.
Naief H
NH
Almakishah
Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 3, D-48149, Münster, Germany. steinbu@uni-muenster.de.|Environmental Sciences Department, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia. steinbu@uni-muenster.de.
Alexander
A
Steinbüchel
D039903:Actinobacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D001105:Archaea / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D056804:Biofuels; D003889:Desert Climate; D055864:Droughts; D017753:Ecosystem; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000068536:Bacillota / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D020563:Gammaproteobacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000235:genetics; D059013:Microbial Consortia; D012988:Soil Microbiology
D056804:Biofuels; D005227:Fatty Acids
Arid habitats; Lipid accumulation; Lipids; Metabolic water; Storage compounds