Extremophilic enzymes related to energy conversion

Abstract

Across the Earth, a variety of organisms inhabit both mild and extreme environments wherever liquid water is available. Among these, extremophilic microorganisms, termed extremophiles, favorably live in extreme environments by adapting their physiological properties. Such extremophiles must acquire energy in order to maintain their cell homeostasis, which is functionally similar to organisms living in mild environments. Numerous enzyme proteins from extremophiles such as thermophiles, psychrophiles, piezophiles, and halophiles have been investigated to date, revealing both unity and diversity in their biochemical and structural biological features through comparison with their homologous counterpart enzymes from organisms living in mild environments. In this chapter, we aim to summarize the biochemical and thermodynamic aspects of enzymes related to the energy conversion that occurs in extremophiles. The obtained insights into extremophilic enzymes related to energy conversion thereby allow us to decipher the mechanistic fundamentals of these protein machineries.