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The Influence of Pressure on the Activity of Enzymes from Deep‐sea Extremophiles
Author(s) -
Ramsoomair Christian Kieran,
Chavez Angel,
Ruiz Mercedes Anessa,
Gomez Alvin V.,
Mills Kenneth Vincent
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2018.32.1_supplement.655.5
Subject(s) - rna splicing , intein , extremophile , pyrococcus horikoshii , gene , biology , high pressure , genetics , chemistry , enzyme , biochemistry , thermophile , bacteria , rna , physics , engineering physics
Protein splicing is a post‐translational process facilitated by an intervening polypeptide, or intein. We studied inteins that interrupt the DNA Polymerase II from three different extremophiles, H. salinarum (Hsa), Pyrococcus abyssi (Pab), and Pyrococcus horikoshii (Pho) . Intriguingly, all three of these inteins splice conditionally based on environmental cues. We hypothesized that since deep‐sea extremophiles such as P. abyssi and P. horikoshii live under moderately high pressures (150–200 atm), splicing will be unaffected or perhaps even enhanced under pressure. We also hypothesized that inteins from surface dwelling extremophiles like Hsa will not function as efficiently at moderate pressure. Lastly, we hypothesized high pressure (2000 atm and above), regardless of the native environment, will destabilize, unfold, and inactivate the activity. Results suggest that moderate pressures (200 atm and below) do not affect the splicing efficiency of inteins from either deep‐sea extremophile. While similarly unaffected at moderate pressure (100 atm), the function of Hsa inteins appear to be significantly diminished by higher pressures (1000 atm and above). In contrast, higher pressures appear to have no negative effect on the splicing of inteins from the deep‐seas extremophiles, and in some cases can even increase the splicing efficiency. Support or Funding Information This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (grant MCB‐1517138) (KVM), the Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation, and by Kim and Wendell P. Weeks P15 to the Holy Cross Alumni/Parent Summer Research Scholarship Fund (CKR). This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .