Organic solutes in hyperthermophilic Archaea

Abstract

We examined the accumulation of organic solutes under optimum growth conditions in 12 species of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic Archaea belonging to the Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota. Pyrobaculum aerophilum, Thermoproteus tenax, Thermoplasma acidophilum, and members of the order Sulfolobales accumulated trehalose. Pyrococcus furiosus accumulated di-myo- inositol-1,1'(3,3')-phosphate and β-mannosylglycerate, Methanopyrus kandleri accumulated cyclic-2,3-bisphosphoglycerate and β-mannosylglycerate, while the only solute detected in Pyrodictium occultum was di-myo-inositol- 1,1'(3,3')-phosphate. Methanopyrus kandleri accumulated large concentrations of cyclic-2,3-bisphosphoglycerate. On the other hand, Archaeoglobus fulgidus accumulated three phosphorylated solutes; prominent among them was a compound identified as di-glycerolphosphate. This solute increased in concentration as the salinity of the medium and the growth temperature were raised, suggesting that this compound serves as a general stress solute. Di-myo-inositol- 1,1'(3,3')phosphate accumulated at supraoptimal temperature only. The relationship between the accumulation of unusual solutes and high temperatures is also discussed.