Extremophiles

- BY MALVI SHAH

(11MSB0106) DARSHINI SHAH

(11MSB0070) KANISHA SHAH

(11MSB0069)

INTRODUCTION

The word extremophile is derived from latin word extremus which means “extreme” and phile means “love”.

An organism that thrives in physically or geochemically extreme conditions is called as an extremophile.

TYPES

Acidophiles

Thermophiles

Alkaliphiles

Pyschrophiles

TYPES

Xerophiles

Halophiles

Barophiles

Radioresistant

TYPES

Cryptoendolith

Hyperthermophile

Hypolith

Metallotolerant

TYPES

Oligotrophs

Osmophile

Polyextremophile

Thermoacidophile

ACIDOPHILES

Survive in acidic conditions.

Can survive in pH of 1-5.

Optimal growth p H less than 3.

Identified by their ability to live in acidic environment.

Reproduce asexually through mitosis or sexual reproduction.

SURVIVAL

are able to survive in this acid habitat because its cells pump out poisonous hydrogen ions fast enough not to damage the DNA inside the nucleus.

If they could not pump out the hydrogen ions, then acidophiles would not be able to survive.

USES

To recover metallic minerals lost during the mining of coal.

To reduce sulfur levels in coal.

As organic acids or solvents.

EXAMPLE

LACTOBACILLUS

THERMOPHILES

Live and grow in extreme hot conditions.

Grow best in temperature between 45 -70  °C.

Some may come under group of archeabacteria.

live in geothermal habitats or they live in environments that create heat themselves.

THERMOPHILES

Also found in hot springs [Yellowstone National Park], deep sea vent, decaying plant matter.

reproduce either by sexual or asexual reproduction through mitosis.

must have a supply of organic matter like food scraps in order to grow.

USES

Thermus aquaticus and Thermococcus litoralis are used as an enzyme used in DNA fingerprinting in criminal cases or in identification of parents or siblings.

Bacillus stearothermophilus is another thermophile used as an enzyme in biological detergents.

EXAMPLES

Thermus aquaticus

Thermococcus litoralis

ALKALIPHILES

live in alkaline environments like soda lakes, or alkaline soil.

The pH level is 9 to 11 on the pH scale.

identified by their ability to live in alkali environments

SURVIVAL

keep an alkaline level of about 9 pH inside the cells, but the environment has a higher level of alkalinity.

can keep the right pH level by pumping in hydrogen ions in and out at the right rate.

USES

used to remove gel surfaces from x-ray film take the hair off of animal hides to make food, medicines treatment of wastes recovering spilled oil as anitibiotics.

EXAMPLES

Geoalkalibacter ferrihydriticus

Bacillus okhensis

Alkalibacterium iburiense

PSYCHROPHILES

live and grow better in temperatures that are about -10 to 20°C.

found mostly in the Arctic and Antarctic oceans which remains frozen most of the year.

reproduce asexually through mitosis.

PYSCHROPHILES

produce an enzyme that no other organism does.

This enzyme is released when psychrophiles reproduce and forms a crystalized structure in liquids like milk.

ROLE

Psychrophiles can cause milk and other dairy products to spoil.

Before the milk products are pasteurized, the milk sits in a refrigerated storage tank for usually two days.

This time period gives psychrophiles time to reproduce. While the psychrophiles are reproducing, they release an enzyme.

After the psychrophiles are killed during pasteurization, the enzymes work to break down, or curdle the product. It also reduced the amount of time that dairy products remain fresh.  

EXAMPLES

Arthrobacter Pyschrobacter Polaromonas vacuolata (Bacteria)

HALOPHILES

are aerobic microorganisms

live and grow in high saline/salty environments.

The saline content in halophilic environments is usually 10 times the saline/salt content of normal ocean water.

Reproduce sexually as well as asexually.

HALOPHILES

Halophiles are coated with a special protein covering, which is used to allow only certain levels of saline/salt into the cell.

This covering helps to seal in water with the right level of saline.

Using the process of diffusion to help it keeps the salt content at the right level all the time.

SURVIVAL

use osmotic pressure and chemical substances like sugars, alcohols, amino acids to help control the amount of salt inside the cell.

Osmotic pressure is relationship of fluids on the inside and outside of a cell.

cells keep the pressure the same on the inside and outside of the cells.

USES

Halophiles are present in brine salt. Brine salt is used to cure animal hides. These halophiles themselves cause the hide to cure by breaking down substances on the surface of the hide.

Scientists are studying the genes of halophiles so that they can find a way to reclaim soil that is ruined by overuse, flooding, and too much irrigation. Over time this soil is made too saline/salty to grow crops, but the genes inside halophiles might show how to fix the ruined land by blending the genes of the halophiles with the genes of the crops. That would hopefully make the crops able to grow in soil with above average saline/salt content.

EXAMPLES

Halobacterium

Tetragenococcus halophilus

BAROPHILES

that can survive under great pressures.

live deep under the surfaces of the earth or water.

There are three kinds of these microorganisms: barotolerant, barophilic, and extreme barophiles.

SURVIVAL As you go lower into the ocean or land, the pressure

increases and makes changes in the barophiles ability for its enzymes to bind the organism together.

However, extreme barophiles have been able to adapt by making special proteins/enzymes that do hold the cellular structure together by allowing the normal chemical reactions to take place.

Proteins also surround barophillic organisms giving them even more protection from the pressure. Unsaturated fatty acids were also found inside extreme barophiles. These fatty acids give them protection from the pressure and cold..

USES

Scientists are exploring ways to use the special enzymes and fatty acids produced by barophiles in the production of food and other industry related fields.

EXAMPLE

Halomonas salaria

EXTREMOZYMES

An extremozyme is an enzyme, often created by extremophiles that can function under extreme environmental conditions such as very high pH, very low pH, high temperature, high salinity, or other factors, that would otherwise denature typical enzymes .

e.g. catalase, rubisco, carbonic anhydrase.

APPLICATIONS

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS

E.g. RNA polymerase, Taq DNA polymerase

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

Cold-tolerant Extremozymes – Food processor – cold-wash detergent

Acid-tolerant Extremozymes – Catalyst for the synthesis of

compoundsin acidic solution – additives for animal feed

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

Alkali-tolerant Extremozymes – Detergent (protease, lipase

etc.) – Dye

Salt-tolerant Extremozymes – Oil exploitation