Review

Remember from earlier this year that there are two broad categories of organisms:

*Prokaryotes have No membrane bound organelle

*Eukaryotes have membrane bound organelle

Important Features
-all are prokaryotes -all have plasmids (small circular packages of DNA) -most have peptidoglycan in their cell walls -flagella are made with a globular protein called flagellin- no 9+2 arrangement

Cytosol

Granules
(Small chunks of food)

Locomotion (Methods of Movement)

Bacterial

Flagellum- lacks microtubules Pili- short, thin appendages

Bacteria
E. coli

E. coli

Nutrition

Autotrophs- manufacture organic compounds Photoautotrophs- use light energy & CO2 Chemoautotrophs-use inorganic substances like H2S, NH3, and other nitrogen compounds Heterotrophs- obtain energy by consuming organic compounds parasites- get energy from living organisms saprobes (saprophytes)- get energy from dead, decaying matter; also called decomposers

Oxygen Preferences
obligate

aerobes must have oxygen obligate anaerobes cannot live in oxygen facultative anaerobes can grow with or without oxygen

2 Bacteria Kingdoms
Kingdom

Archaebacteria - are ancient bacteria that live in extreme environments Kingdom Eubacteria - are generally referred to as bacteria or germs, and are considered more recent. Most types of bacteria belong in this kingdom. First appeared approximately 3.7 BYA

The Archaebacteria:
do

not have peptidoglycan in their cell walls have ribosomes similar to eukaryotes have unique lipids in their plasma (cell) membranes

The Archaebacteria also: have some genes that resemble eukaryotic genes usually are not pathogenic (they dont usually make us sick!) live in extreme environments:
high concentrations of salt extremes of pH and temperature

3 Archaebacterial Groups Methanogens Halophiles Thermoacidophiles = live in extremely hot, acid environments

Methanogens
anaerobic

bacteria that get energy by turning H2 and CO2 into methane (CH4) live in mud, swamps, and the guts of cows, humans, termites and other animals

Halophiles
are

organisms that live in environments with extremely high salt concentrations some extreme halophiles can live in solutions of 35 % salt. (seawater is only 3% salt!) halophile means salt loving most halophiles are aerobic and heterotrophic; others are anaerobic and photosynthetic, containing the pigment bacteriorhodopsin

Diversity of Halophilic Organisms

halophiles

are found in salt lakes, salt marshes, subterranean salt deposits, dry soils, salted meats, hypersaline seas, and salt evaporation pools the Red Sea was named after the halobacterium that turns the water red during massive blooms.

Halophile
Environments
solar salterns Owens Lake, Great Salt Lake, coastal splash zones, Dead Sea

Thermoacidophiles
Like

temperature and pH extremes Hot = up to 110C Cold = down to 1C Acid = as low as pH 2 Alkali = as high as pH 9 they are chemoautotrophs, using H2S
the

first Extremophile was found about 30 years ago

Extreme Temperatures
- High temperature = 60-800C Thermal vents and hot springs May go hand in hand with chemical extremes Psychrophiles - Low temperature Arctic and Antarctic 1/2 of Earths surface is oceans between 10C & 40C Deep sea 10C to 40C Most rely on photosynthesis
Thermophiles

Thermophile Environments

Hydrothermal Vents in the ocean, and Obsidian Pool in Yellowstone National Park

Alan Hills Ice Field: Antarctica

Psychrophile Environments

Thermophile Applications
many

industrial processes involve temperature extremes, which is a problem for most enzymes
Enzymes to work on foods that need to be refrigerated Perfumes - most dont tolerate high temperatures Cold-wash detergents PCR reactions

Chemical Extremes
Acidophiles Alkaliphiles Halophiles

- Acidic - Alkaline

Again thermal vents and some hot springs

Soda lakes in Africa and western U.S.

- Highly Salty

Natural salt lakes and manmade pools Sometimes occurs with extreme alkalinity

Acidophiles
Enzymes

used to increase efficiency of animal feeds enzymes help animals extract nutrients from feed more efficient and less expensive
Life at High Temperatures, Thomas M. Brock

Acidophile Environments

Alkaliphiles
Stonewashed

pants Alkaliphilic enzymes soften fabric and release some of the dyes, giving worn look and feel Detergents Enzymes to dissolve proteins or fats Alkaliphilic enzymes can work with detergents

Alkaliphile Environments
e.g. Mono Lake alkaline soda lake, pH 9, salinity 8%

Examples of Unusual Habitats

The

bacterium pseudomonas was found living on a desert plant in the Negev Desert. The plant secretes salt through salt glands on its leaves. Bacillus was found in the nasal cavities of desert iguanas. These iguanas have salt glands in their nasal cavities that secrete KCl brine during osmotic stress.

Special Techniques for Survival

While external environments are extreme, internal cell environments are normal. Ways to protect the cell:
Acidophiles and Alkaliphiles sometimes excrete protective substances and enzymes Acidophiles often lack cell wall Some moderate halophiles have high concentrations of a solute inside to avoid pickling

Many microbes contain unusual enzymes

Interesting Facts
The

term red herring comes from the foul smell of salted meats that were spoiled by halobacterium. There have been considerable problems with halophiles colonizing leather during the salt curing process.

Future Applications
Many possible applications using halophiles are being explored such as: genetically engineering halophilic enzymes, encoding DNA into crops to allow for salt tolerance treatment of waste water

Summary
Now

you know something about Extremophiles where they live how they survive They are interesting because they have enzymes that work in unusual conditions