Thermophiles: Biology and Technology at High Temperatures

About this book

Thermophiles contain enzymes that can function at temperatures approaching the upper temperature limit for life and therefore can be of great interest to researchers in molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, biotechnology, bioremediation, structural genomics, industrial microbiology, and exobiology. Written by team of internationally renowned experts, this text provides a comprehensive review of the most recent literature in the thermophile field. Discussion includes the molecular basis of molecular thermostability, metabolism and energetics, technological importance and applications, and genetic manipulation.

Contents

OVERVIEW. The Challenges to Life at Extremely High Temperatures. MOLECULAR BASIS OF MOLECULAR THERMOSTABILITY. Membranes and Membrane Proteins. Transporter Gene Families in Thermophiles. Extrinsic Protein Stabilization. Intrinsic Protein Stability.Chaperonins. Heat Shock Proteins. METABOLISM AND ENERGETICS. Metabolite Channeling in Enzyme Complexes. Novel Pathways of Intermediary Metabolism. Iron Reduction at Temperatures Up to 121 C. TECHNOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF THERMOPHILES AND THEIR ENZYMES.Applications of Unusual Natural Products from Thermophiles. High Pressure/High Temperature Applications. High Expression Strategies for Production of Thermostable Proteins. Bioleaching. Oil Well Microbiology. GENETIC MANIPULATION OF THERMOPHILES. DNARepair and Mutagenesis in Archaea. Sulfolobus Plasmids and Cloning Vectors. Transposable Genetic Elements in Thermophilic Archaea. Genetic Analysis of Metabolism and Thermostability in Thermus. Establishing gene function by targeted mutagenesis. SIMPLEMODELS FOR COMPLEX FUNCTIONS. High Throughput Structural Determination of Proteins from Thermophiles. Novel Properties of DNA Polymerases/Nucleases from Thermophilic Archaea. MCM Proteins. DNA-Binding Proteins. Events and interactions at the DNAReplication Fork. Protein Phosphorylation at 80-90C. ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION. Thermophile Diversity in Terrestrial Springs. Natural Population Structure: Measures of Gene Flow and Recombination.

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Biography

University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Baltimore, U Hamburg University of Technology, Germany University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA University of Groningen, The Netherlands