New protein that repairs DNA under extreme conditions
Mild environmental conditions are a prerequisite for life. Strong acids or dissolved metallic salts in high concentrations are detrimental to both humans and to simpler life forms, such as bacteria. Such conditions destroy proteins, ensuring that all biological functions in the cells come to a standstill. So what do we find at the limits of hostile conditions where we still find life? Scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig (Germany) have joined up with colleagues from Spain and Great Britain to identify an enzyme that requires acids and dissolved metals in order to function. The team describes its findings regarding the extreme protein of the archaebacterium Ferroplasma acidiphilum in the latest online edition of the renowned US research journal PNAS.