Extreme catalysts from low-temperature environments.

ABSTRACT

Cold-loving or psychrophilic organisms are widely distributed in nature as a large part of the earth's surface is at temperatures around 0 degrees C. To maintain metabolic rates and to prosper in cold environments, these extremophilic organisms have developed a vast array of adaptations. One main adaptive strategy developed in order to cope with the reduction of chemical reaction rates induced by low temperatures is the synthesis of cold-adapted or psychrophilic enzymes. These enzymes are characterized by a high catalytic activity at low temperatures associated with a low thermal stability. A study of protein adaptation strategies suggests that the high activity of psychrophilic enzymes could be achieved by the destabilization of the active site, allowing the catalytic center to be more flexible at low temperatures, whereas other protein regions may be destabilized or as rigid as their mesophilic counterparts. Due to these particular properties, psychrophilic enzymes offer a high potential not only for fundamental research but also for biotechnological applications.