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Molecular biology of extremophiles

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Abstract

The molecular biology of extremophiles has recently attracted much interest, both in terms of cell adaptation to extreme environmental conditions and the development of manipulative genetic techniques. Although molecular genetic techniques have been successfully applied to halophiles and methanogens, their use with hyperthermophiles is limited by the extreme growth conditions that these organisms require. Much information on the thermophilic Archaea, has been obtained by studying the key enzymes involved in fundamental cell processes, such as transcription and replication, and by the cloning, sequence comparison and heterologous expression of structural genes. The development of viral vectors and systems for transformation, mutant production and screening will permit increased genetic manipulation of these organisms.

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Authors
  1. M. Ciaramella
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  2. R. Cannio
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  3. M. Moracci
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  4. F. M. Pisani
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  5. M. Rossi
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Additional information

M. Ciaramella, M. Morraci, F.M. Pisani and M. Rossi are with the Institute of Protein Biochemistry and Enzymology, Via Marconi 10, 80125, Naples, Italy; R. Cannio is with and M. Rossi is also with the Dipartimento di Chimica Organica e Biologica, University of Naples, Via Mezzocannone 16, Naples, Italy.

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Ciaramella, M., Cannio, R., Moracci, M. et al. Molecular biology of extremophiles. World Journal of Microbiology & Biotechnology 11, 71–84 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00339137

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