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Mechanism of bacterial adaptation to low temperature

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Abstract

Survival of bacteria at low temperatures provokes scientific interest because of several reasons. Investigations in this area promise insight into one of the mysteries of life science —namely, how the machinery of life operates at extreme environments. Knowledge obtained from these studies is likely to be useful in controlling pathogenic bacteria, which survive and thrive in cold-stored food materials. The outcome of these studies may also help us to explore the possibilities of existence of life in distant frozen planets and their satellites.

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Abbreviations

AFPs:

antifreeze proteins

CSPs:

cold-shock proteins

HSPs:

heat shock proteins

TH:

thermal hysteresis

VBNC:

viable but nonculturable

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  1. Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, 500 007, Hyderabad, India

    M. K. Chattopadhyay

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Chattopadhyay, M.K. Mechanism of bacterial adaptation to low temperature. J. Biosci. 31, 157–165 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02705244

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