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Di-myo-inositol phosphate and novel UDP-sugars accumulate in the extreme hyperthermophile Pyrolobus fumarii

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Abstract

The archaeon Pyrolobus fumarii, one of the most extreme members of hyperthermophiles known thus far, is able to grow at temperatures up to 113°C. Over a decade after the description of this organism our knowledge about the structures and strategies underlying its remarkable thermal resistance remains incipient. The accumulation of a restricted number of charged organic solutes is a common response to heat stress in hyperthermophilic organisms and accordingly their role in thermoprotection has been often postulated. In this work, the organic solute pool of P. fumarii was characterized using 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR. Di-myo-inositol phosphate was the major solute (0.21 μmol/mg protein), reinforcing the correlation between the occurrence of this solute and hyperthermophily; in addition, UDP-sugars (total concentration 0.11 μmol/mg protein) were present. The structures of the two major UDP-sugars were identified as UDP-α-GlcNAc3NAc and UDP-α-GlcNAc3NAc-(4 ← 1)-β-GlcpNAc3NAc. Interestingly, the latter compound appears to be derived from the first one by addition of a 2,3-N-acetylglucoronic acid unit, suggesting that these UDP-sugars are intermediates of an N-linked glycosylation pathway. To our knowledge the UDP-disaccharide has not been reported elsewhere. The physiological roles of these organic solutes are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

P. fumarii biomass was grown in the lab of Prof. Karl Stetter at Regensburg University. This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal, and FEDER (Projects A004/2005 Action V.5.1 and POCI/BIA-PRO/57263/2004). L. G. G and P. L. thank FCT for financial support (SFRH/BD/5076/2001), (SFRH/BPD/26606/2006). We thank Ana Mingote for technical support. Dr. Ana Coelho from the mass spectrometry service at ITQB performed the mass spectra.

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Author notes

  1. Robert Huber

    Present address: Kommunale Berufsfachschule für biologisch-technische Assistenten, 94315, Straubing, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, Apartado 127, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal

    Luís G. Gonçalves, Pedro Lamosa & Helena Santos

  2. Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie und Archaeenzentrum, Universität Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany

    Robert Huber

Authors
  1. Luís G. Gonçalves
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  2. Pedro Lamosa
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  3. Robert Huber
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  4. Helena Santos
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Helena Santos.

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Communicated by G. Antranikian.

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Gonçalves, L.G., Lamosa, P., Huber, R. et al. Di-myo-inositol phosphate and novel UDP-sugars accumulate in the extreme hyperthermophile Pyrolobus fumarii . Extremophiles 12, 383–389 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-008-0143-0

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