Open AccessIdentification of organic solutes accumulated by purple and green sulphur bacteria during osmotic stress using natural abundance 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Author(s) -
Welsh David T.,
Herbert Rodney A.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6941.1993.tb00060.x
Subject(s) - halotolerance , betaine , biology , osmoprotectant , trehalose , halophile , osmoregulation , sucrose , bacteria , osmotic shock , sulfur , biochemistry , osmotic pressure , glycine , ectoine , nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy , salinity , amino acid , proline , ecology , chemistry , genetics , organic chemistry , gene
Natural abundance 13 C NMR spectroscopy has identified sucrose and trehalose as the principle compatible solutes accumulated by non‐halophilic purple and green sulphur bacteria respectively, in response to osmotic stress. Synthesis of glycine betaine as a compatible solute was rare in non‐halophilic phototrophic sulphur bacteria and appears to be limited almost exclusively to halotolerant isolates, although all isolates tested were able to accumulate exogenous glycine betaine from the growth medium in response to osmotic stress. These data support the hypothesis that the degree of halotolerance of a microorganism may be due, at least in part, to the metabolic effects of the compatible solute(s) accumulated.