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Insights into piezophily from genetic studies on the deep‐sea bacterium, Photobacterium profundum SS9
Author(s) -
ElHajj Ziad W.,
Allcock David,
Tryfona Theodora,
Lauro Federico M.,
Sawyer Lindsay,
Bartlett Douglas H.,
Ferguson Gail P.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05178.x
Subject(s) - biology , photobacterium , bacteria , genetics , vibrio
The deep‐sea bacterium, Photobacterium profundum SS9, has been adopted as a model organism to understand the molecular basis of cold‐adapted high‐pressure‐loving (piezophilic) growth. Despite growing optimally at 28 MPa (15° C), P. profundum SS9 can grow over a wide range of pressures and temperatures. The ability to grow at atmospheric pressure has enabled a limited set of genetic tools to be developed, which has provided genetic insights into the mechanism of piezophilic growth in P. profundum SS9. This review focuses on how genetic studies have uncovered the importance of processes affecting the DNA and the bacterial cell envelope in the piezophilic growth of P. profundum SS9. In addition, a method was developed to assess quantitative piezophilic colony growth of P. profundum SS9 on solid agar. Future studies, using this methodology, could provide novel insights into the molecular basis of piezophilic, surface‐attached growth.