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Genomic Analysis of Psychrophilic Prokaryotes

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Psychrophiles: from Biodiversity to Biotechnology

Psychrophilic bacteria and archaea are those adapted to low temperature (Morita 1975). The specificity of the adaptation falls at one extreme of a universal growth rate/temperature relationship that largely follows Arrhenius-type kinetics (Fig. 16.1). This relationship appears to be mainly dictated by the Laws of Thermodynamics that involve the way proteins (and other biological macromolecules) behave under different temperatures (Ratkowsky et al. 2005). Psychrophily is a generalized concept and essentially for the purpose of this review incorporates microorganisms that have successfully adapted to and survive well under conditions of perpetually low temperature. Many examples that fall within this classification manifest growth rate/growth temperature features that are considered “extreme” adaptations. These “true” psychrophiles are typified by an inability to grow at temperatures of 20–25°C and may require high hydrostatic pressure for growth.

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  1. Australian Food Safety Centre of Excellence, School of Agricultural Science, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 54, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia

    John P. Bowman

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  1. Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Rosa Margesin  & Franz Schinner  & 

  2. Laboratory of Biochemistry, University of Liège, Institute of Chemistry B6, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Jean-Claude Marx  & Charles Gerday  & 

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Bowman, J.P. (2008). Genomic Analysis of Psychrophilic Prokaryotes. In: Margesin, R., Schinner, F., Marx, JC., Gerday, C. (eds) Psychrophiles: from Biodiversity to Biotechnology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74335-4_16

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