Halophilic Microorganisms

From the reviews: "The origin of this book is an international meeting held on halophilic microorganisms, organized in Seville, Spain, in 2001. In 22 chapters contributed by more than 100 authors, each a specialist in his field, numerous facets of the biology of these extremophilic organisms ... are dealt with ... . this book is a must for every researcher motivated by studies on these halophilic organisms." (Klaus Hausmann, European Journal of Protistology, Vol. 41 (1), 2005) Front Matter....Pages I-15 Introductory Chapter: Half a Lifetime in Soda Lakes....Pages 17-31 Trophic Ecology of Solar Salterns....Pages 33-48 Microbial Molecular and Physiological Diversity in Hypersaline Environments....Pages 49-61 Red, Extremely Halophilic, but not Archaeal: The Physiology and Ecology of Salinibacter ruber , a Bacterium Isolated from Saltern Crystallizer Ponds....Pages 63-76 The Potential Use of Signature Bases from 16S rRNA Gene Sequences To Aid the Assignment of Microbial Strains to Genera of Halobacteria....Pages 77-87 From Intraterrestrials to Extraterrestrials — Viable Haloarchaea in Ancient Salt Deposits....Pages 89-102 Fungi in Salterns....Pages 103-113 Physiological and Molecular Responses of Bacillus subtilis to Hypertonicity: Utilization of Evolutionarily Conserved Adaptation Strategies....Pages 115-134 Genetics of Osmoadaptation by Accumulation of Compatible Solutes in the Moderate Halophile Chromohalobacter salexigens : Its Potential in Agriculture Under Osmotic Stress Conditions....Pages 135-153 Osmoregulated Solute Transport in Halophilic Bacteria....Pages 155-164 Molecular and Functional Adaptations Underlying the Exceptional Salt Tolerance of the Alga Dunaliella salina ....Pages 165-176 Multienzyme Complexes in the Archaea: Predictions from Genome Sequences....Pages 177-191 Nitrate Assimilation in Halophilic Archaea....Pages 193-203 The Archaeal Cardiolipins of the Extreme Halophiles....Pages 205-214 Understanding Archaeal Protein Translocation: Haloferax volcanii as a Model System....Pages 215-228 Gas Vesicle Genes in Halophilic Archaea and Bacteria....Pages 229-241 Extremely Halophilic Archaea: Insights into Their Response to Environmental Conditions....Pages 243-253 Genome Sequences of the Head-Tail Haloviruses HF1 and HF2....Pages 255-262 Reporter Gene Systems for Halophilic Microorganisms....Pages 263-274 Industrial Enzymes: Do Halophiles and Alkaliphiles Have a Role to Play?....Pages 275-284 Extracellular Hydrolytic Enzymes Produced by Moderately Halophilic Bacteria....Pages 285-295 Moderately Halophilic, Exopolysaccharide-Producing Bacteria....Pages 297-314 Biotransformation of Toxic Organic and Inorganic Contaminants by Halophilic Bacteria....Pages 315-331 Epilogue Cum Grano Salis — Salt in the History and Life of Mankind. An Overview with Emphasis on Europe....Pages 333-342 Back Matter....Pages 343-350

Various groups of microorganisms - bacteria, archaea, algae and even fungi - have adapted to a life in a hypersaline environment. Halophilic Microorganisms explores the many-fold aspects of life under these extreme conditions.
Several contributions analyze the microbial communities in different hypersaline environments such as salterns, soda lakes, and the Dead Sea or salt sediments. Reviews of their biodiversity, phylogeny, and genetics are given as well as of the diverse adaptation strategies of salt-tolerant or salt-requiring microorganisms. Microorganisms that have adapted to moderate salt concentrations or to habitats with drastic fluctuations are also treated in addition to the extreme halophiles. Their physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms developed in response to salinity and high osmotic pressure as well as current and future biotechnological applications are presented.