Lecture 5: Flashcards
What is a major environmental factor controlling microbial growth?
temperature
Cardinal temperatures
the minimum, optimum, and maximum temperatures at which an organism grows
Optimum
- where organism grows FASTEST (according to temp)
- you can give it the temp it likes most (optimal temp), but if nutrient [ ]’s are not on point, pH isn’t controlled, salt [ ] isn’t good etc. it doesn’t matter if you give optimal temp
- but it’s just 1 variable - more needs to be considered for the reality
enzymatic reactions occurring at maximal possible rate
These cardinal temperatures are characteristic of…
each different organism
Minimum temp
mem. specifically solidified
- LESS mobile “sleeping” –> metabolically inactive
- membrane gelling; transport processes so slow that growth cannot occur
Maximum temp
mem. melted
- higher temp
- death
- breakage of VdW’s b/c of increased movement
- protein denaturation; collapse of the PM thermal lysis
If membrane is melted what has happened to its structure and what does it mean abt the cells state
falls apart - completely dismembers - no shape so cell dies b/c PM all about shape (butter in microwave)
- CELL DIES ABOVE MAX GROWTH TEMP
When membrane is solid has the cell lost its membrane integrity or is it just less mobile?
less mobile –> “sleeping”
- metabolically inactive but if you put it at high temps it will become active again (this is why your old not to freeze thaw things again and again)
Min to optimum temp if characterized by what on the graph?
very gradual slope temp decrease doesn’t have a dramatic effect as temp increase
What will mem. state be at its optimum (necessary state for PM)?
semi-fluid
- best growth rate possible
Optimum to max we see…
substantial drops in the growth rate that occur within that region
What will happen to the movement & therefore VdW’s interactions within the PL tails at excessively high temps?
breakage of VdW’s b/c of increase movement
-melted membrane; puddle that loses function and loses structural integrity
What will happen to the movement & therefore VdW’s interactions within the PL tails at cold temps?
membrane phospholipids move LESS in COLD allowing MORE van der waals to form –> “gelling” or solidification
- but mem’s need to be semifluid
Describe what happens to the protein (has to have certain shape) when HEAT is added vs when its in COLD temps
a protein needs to have a certain shape to function properly
when HEAT is added breaks H-bonds, VdW’s & ionic bonds DENATURED = non-functional
when COLD is added move LESS & ionic, H-bonds & VdW’s form DENATURED - COMPACT b/c increase # of bonds
- lil easier to recover from
- functional for cold loving organisms
Which is more lethal high or cold temps?
HIGH TEMPS= DEATH
How can microorganisms be classified into different groups name the groups?
Microorganisms can be classified into groups by their growth temperature optima
- Psychrophile
- Mesophile
- Thermophile
- Hyperthermophile
Psychrophile:
low temperature
phile= friend in greek
Mesophile:
midrange temperature
- include us & medically relevant bacteria & flora within the body
- biggest group
Thermophile:
high temperature
Hyperthermophile:
very high temperature
Where can mesophiles be found?
organisms that have midrange temperature optima (~38 degrees celsius)
• Warm-blooded animals (include us, cows, goats etc.)
- endothermic organisms that have bacteria living in them
• Terrestrial and aquatic environments
- diff bodies of water
• Temperate and tropical latitudes
- warm-temp within this range most of the time
ex- e.coli
Cold-Loving Microorganisms
- Extremophiles
- Psychrophiles
- Psychrotolerant
Extremophiles
• Organisms that grow under very hot or very cold conditions
* prefer very extreme temps
OR like LOW pH/HIGH pH/HIGH [salt] etc.
Psychrophiles
• Organisms with cold temperature optima (<20oC)
- friends of cold temps
• Inhabit permanently cold environments
- Deep ocean, Arctic and Antarctic environments
ex- polarmonas vasculota
Psychotolerant
- Organisms that can grow at 0oC but have optima of 20oC to 40oC
- More widely distributed in nature than true psychrophiles
can tolerate - don’t have a desire in either temps (can tolerate either), but prefer temps that are warmer (mediocre like we like)
List 2 ways a mem. can offset freezing to maintain semi-fluid state & do characteristics of life even when its super cold?
- MORE UNsaturated PL’s tails - so VdW’s are less likely to form even though they want
- Produce ANTI-FREEZE compounds - prevent water from solidifying
- mem. stay in fluid state that’s req & inside the cell as well
Describe some Molecular adaptations that support psychrophily
(present inside cell that allow for support)
- if they don’t have those molecular dets, there will def be problems with their ability to thrive
• Production of enzymes that function optimally in the cold
- if it can’t handle these cold conditions then its out of luck
• Modified cytoplasmic membranes
- High unsaturated fatty acid content
Explain how unsaturated FA tail prevent solidification?
Unsaturation creates a kink in that fatty acid tail -
makes packaging challenging
- positioning within the mem.
(could also be both tails)
- prevents bonds from forming even though there’s less movement
As things move MORE & MORE, bonds…
BREAK
As things move LESS & LESS, bonds…
FORM
Above ~65oC…
only prokaryotic life forms exist
(NO EUK CAN) bc cell has so many organelles, so complex, more you have the more things that can go wrong
Above ~65oC what types of metabolic species are present
• Chemoorganotrophic (use organic molecules) and chemolithotrophic (use inorganic molecules) species are present
• No phototrophy above approx. 70oC - chemotrophy
- phototrophic organisms have a bunch of intracellular mem. content that allows for the absorption of light energy & conversion into chemical energy (therefore, that machinery can’t handle high temp, it loses its structural integrity & ability to function & that machinery to be able to convert light energy into chemical energy also has temp restrictions, even if we’re talking about a photosynthetic prok (cyanobacterium)
• High prokaryotic diversity
- even at excessively high temps - therefore high density translates into fact that living in these high temps, some organisms use nitrogen metabolism, others use sulfur metabolism, diverse in terms of where they live & enzymes & wastes they produce etc. that translate into what these organisms will look like when they’re growing
- Both Archaea and Bacteria are represented (proks, but at extreme temps its mostly archaea)
Thermophiles:
organisms with growth temperature optima between 45oC and 80oC (more mediocre than hyperthermophiles)
• Terrestrial hot springs, very active compost –> nutrient rich, therefore more metabolism, more to eat, means more diversity which means more metabolic activity, which produces heat as a waste product
- fact its so metabolically rich due to all the nutrients, that’ll produce a ton of heat selectively for organisms that like higher temp
Hyperthermophiles:
organisms with optima greater than 80oC
• Inhabit hot environments, including boiling hot springs and seafloor hydrothermal vents that can experience temperatures in excess of 100oC
(breaking H-bonds holding molecules together & you get phase change to gaseous state - water remains liquid - imp. b/c water is a polar solvent & so it must be liquid for cell activity)
• Current temperature maximum record is held by an archaeon, Methanopyrus kandleri, which can grow at 122oC
- wouldn’t be destroyed by an autoclave
What happens to H20 when it reaches 100?
its boiling
break h bonds holding molecules together and have a phase change to gas
Explain how h20 remains liquid in hydrothermal vents?
b/c of pressurization of h20 even though it boils at this temp under this high level of pressure the h20 molecules are forced into close proximity to each other even though heat wouldn’t want them to mive more but bc they are so close they form H bonds and stay in a liquid state
Autoclave
used to sterilize material
combines temp & pressure so water remains as steam @ 121 degrees celsius (necessary to achieve sterilization)
destruction of all life, viruses & ENDOSPORES (can tolerate envir extremes)
Sterilize definition
destruction of all life, viruses & ENDOSPORES (can tolerate envir extremes)
Where should you check for antibiotics?
check for antibiotics in a place you know that temp & envir is v. unique, microbial diversity will be characteristic of that place, so what might this organism be producing that might be of use to us
Are antibiotics we find made in the lab
No they usually are from other living organisms they are not things you go to lab and make you could but you will usually fail
Describe what molecular adaptations thermophiles have
- Specific modifications provide thermal stability to enzymes and proteins
- Modifications in cytoplasmic membranes to ensure heat stability
- Bacteria have lipids rich in saturated fatty acids
- Archaea have lipid monolayer rather than bilayer