Thermophiles: Biology and Technology at High Temperatures

by Frank Robb (Editor), Garabed Antranikian (Editor), Dennis Grogan (Editor), Arnold Driessen (Editor)

Overview

We might think of them as living on the very edge of existence. Referred to as extremophiles, these microorganisms exhibit the most radical capacity for adaptation in those harsh environments that are just barely conducive to the existence of cellular life. Unlocking the mechanisms and understanding the evolutionary development that allows these si

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781040199961
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	12/13/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	368
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Frank Robb, Garabed Antranikian, Dennis Grogan, Arnold Driessen

Table of 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. DNA Repair 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. SIMPLE MODELS 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 DNA Replication Fork. Protein Phosphorylation at 80-90C. ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION. Thermophile Diversity in Terrestrial Springs. Natural Population Structure: Measures of Gene Flow and Recombination.

Editorial Reviews

"This is an interesting and readable account of the thermophiles that will be of use to both researchers and students...it is a broad, informative account of the subject that goes beyond an introduction to the topic, and it is a volume I would certainly recommend."

- David Pearce, Society of General Microbiology, Feb. 2009

From the Publisher