Those mos which have an optimal growth temperature of 15C or lower, a maximal growth temperature of approx 20C and

minimum growth temperature of 0C or lower.

Mos which grow at 0 to 5C and maximum temperatures exceeding 25C will be considered to be psychrotrophic

~85% of earth biosphere less than 5C temp durine few months in year and over 75% is permanently cold.

Range of temperature in oceans is -2 to 40C. Antarctica global hot spot of psychrophiles. Two groups
Permanently cold e.g. deep ocean waters Subj. to temperature extremes ranging from -88 to 15C.

Horlick mountains, Antarctica, temp on rock surfaces raises from -15 to 27.8C within 3 hours of owing solar radiotion.

Habitats: - fresh and marine waters, skin and intestinal contents of marine fish, garden soil, marine sediments, deep ocean water, polar soil, antarctic marine and fresh waters and cave systems.

Gram negative: Flavobacterium, Psychrobacter, Pseudomonas.

Gram positive: Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Clostridium.

rRNA approach.

Cell memb complex heterogenous system properties determined by composition and organization and external influences (m.imp is temp.).

Most microbes changes membrane lipid composition as per temp changes so regulating activity of solute transport system and function of membrane bound enzymes.

Psychrophiles and mesophiles differ in their ability.

Psychrotroph oxidize exo-glucose at 0C while mesophile didnt at less than 5 C. In mesophile, limiting factor was ability to transport of sugar.

Sugar transport is independent of temp in psychrophilic mos.

In psychrophilic Gr+ bacteria uptake of glucose and aminoacid is not affected at growth at low temperature.

In psychrophilic yeast, free aminoacid pool unaffected by changes in growth temperature.

In Vibrio, psychrophile from antarctic lake, maximum rate of glucose and lactose uptake shown at 0C which decrease with increasing temperature.

Postulates

Solute carrier proteins in cytoplasmic membrane of psychrophiles less susceptible to low temp inactivation

SCP in mesophiles not abnormally cold sensitive change in lipid bilayer solute molecules unable to bind carrier proteins.
At low temp - shortage of energy to support active transport across cyto.m. in mesophiles.

Primary component, constitute abt 40-70% of total membrane dry weight.

Glycerol phoshatides containing fatty acid esters of G3P predominant. Most common is phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) esp in Gram bac.

Phosphatidyl glycerol (PG) and diPG(cardiolipin) also found frequently. But PS found in trace (decarboxylated to PE).
Cholesterol raraly found. Most FA found in bac ranges from 10-20 carbons, usually 16-18 C. Fas may be straight chain saturated/unsaturated, branched chain or cyclopropane acids. Long chain polyunsaturated FAs are usually absent.

In CM phospholipid molecules forms bilayer, polar headgroups inside-outside.

Fatty acid acyl chains stacked in a parallel fashion at right angles to plane of membranes, with terminal methyl group in interior of bilayer.

Bacteria changes membrane composition in order to achieve optimum membrane fluidity to maintain functions (strategy).

On decrease in temp. fatty acid composition changes depending on species involved. Most common is increase in proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (yeast: - hexa-octadecenoic acids).

In bacteria, in addition to unsaturations other changes may also occur.

Shortening of acyl chain length Increase in the proportion of branched chain fatty acids Reduction in the proportion of cyclic fatty acids.

All the changes produce lipids with lower gel to liquid crystalline transition temperature, maintaining mobility.

Modification of FA composition is not universal. In yeast grown at 15 and 30C, no major diff found.

In E. coli, minimum requirement of both saturated and unsaturated FAs. At 37C min requirement of FA is 20% w/v increasing with decrease in temperature.

In psychrophilic Vibrio sp., significant increase in total quantity of phospholipids synthesized at 0c.

Liquid crystalline state is essential for correct membrane function, assembly of transport proteins and the activity of memb bound enzymes.

In absence of sterols, prokaryotic bilayer undergo reversible thermotrophic gel to liquid crystalline phase transition.

Properties of both are different. When HC chains are arranged at right angle to bilayer bilayer is rigid

Changes in Protein content of the cell memb. Changes in composition of carotenoids. Changes in fatty acyl chain length. Changes in fatty acid isomerization Changes in fatty acid desaturation

Iso- and anteiso- fatty acids Changes in cis-trans fatty acids

CHANGES IN LIPID HEAD GROUP

3 hydrogen atoms of the NH3+ terminal of PE are replaced by methyl groups [N(CH3)3+] - reduced interaction of head grps of PC relatively loose packing of memb.

CHANGES IN PROTEIN CONTENT OF CM

Proteins interact with lipid of memb stabilize bilayer by limiting acyl chain flexibility In E. coli, memb lipids lost motional freedom by interacting with prteins. (role of hsp and csp)

CHANGES IN POSITION OF CAROTENOIDS

Zeaxanthin (polar) more rigidity to a memb than a b-carotene (non polar) Carotenoids interact with memb and increase rigidity (may have role in buffering membrane fluidity depending on nature of carotenoid). Synthesis of carotenoids is dependent on the temp growth of bacteria i.e. polar carotenoids low temp growth stabilize memb.

CHANGES IN FATTY ACYL CHAIN LENGTH

Fatty acids with shorter chains have lower melting point. Longer chain span bilayer more easily, promote acyl chain packing make memb environment more gel like. Shorter chain unable to span bilayer and incapable of hydrophobic int. with other lipids and proteins, thus maintaining fluid state of memb.

CHANGES IN FATTY ACID ISOMERIZATION CHANGES IN FATTY ACID DESATURATION