Open AccessUse of 23Na nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine the true intracellular concentration of free sodium in a halophilic eubacterium
Author(s) -
Haggai Gilboa,
Margot Kogut,
S Chalamish,
Ronit Regev,
Y. AviDor,
Nicholas J. Russell
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.652
H-Index - 246
eISSN - 1067-8832
pISSN - 0021-9193
DOI - 10.1128/jb.173.21.7021-7023.1991
Subject(s) - intracellular , halophile , extracellular , sodium , biology , eubacterium , nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy , biophysics , intracellular ph , biochemistry , nuclear magnetic resonance , bacteria , chemistry , genetics , physics , organic chemistry
We present new data obtained by 23Na nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which can distinguish free intracellular sodium from cell-bound sodium, showing that the intracellular concentration of Na+ the halophilic eubacterium Vibrio costicola is only 5 to 20% of that in the extracellular medium. Previous methods could not distinguish free intracellular Na+ from that bound to cell structures, and it was believed that in halophilic eubacteria the total monovalent cation concentration inside matched that of the NaCl outside. Information obtained by the newer technology raises fundamental questions about the ways in which these organisms and others which live in hypersaline environments function and cope with osmotic stress.