S. Trivedi, H.S. Gehlot, S.R. Rao
Published December 12, 2006
Genet. Mol. Res. 5 (4): 816-827 (2006)

About the authors
S. Trivedi, H.S. Gehlot, S.R. Rao

Corresponding author
S. Trivedi
E-mail: svtrived@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT

In order to survive at high temperatures, thermophilic prokaryotes (Archaea and Eubacteria) adopt different strategies. Among several important contributing factors for stability of proteins are CGrich codons, the ratio of charged amino acids compared to uncharged amino acids, ionic interactions, amino acid preferences and their distribution, post-translational modifications, and solute accumulation. However, these factors may differ from taxon to taxon, both within and between species depending upon the composition of proteins found in these organisms. This is exemplified in the case of differences in strategies adopted by soluble proteins and membrane proteins. Therefore, it appears that no single factor or combination of factors together can beuniversally attributed to the provision of thermal stability in proteins

Key words: Archaea, Hyperthermophiles, Mesophiles, Thermophiles, Protein, Stability