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The search for traces of life: the protective effect of salt on biological macromolecules

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Abstract.

Trapping malate dehydrogenase from the extremely halophilic archaeon Haloarcula marismortui in "dry" salt crystals protects the enzyme against thermal denaturation. Similar protection was not observed for the homologous mesophilic enzyme. In the case of transfer RNA molecules, high salt concentration plays a protective role against thermal degradation allowing activity to be recovered. The results are discussed in the context of exploring the fate of cell-free biological macromolecules in the environment and that of orienting the search for traces of life in planetary exploration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Biologie Structurale, 41 rue Jules Horowitz, 38027 Grenoble Cedex 1, France, , , , ,

    Moeava Tehei, Bruno Franzetti & Giuseppe Zaccai

  2. Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France, , , , ,

    Marie-Christine Maurel & Jacques Vergne

  3. Laboratoire de Biochimie, Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France, , , , ,

    Codjo Hountondji

Authors
  1. Moeava Tehei
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  2. Bruno Franzetti
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  3. Marie-Christine Maurel
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  4. Jacques Vergne
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  5. Codjo Hountondji
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  6. Giuseppe Zaccai
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Tehei, M., Franzetti, B., Maurel, MC. et al. The search for traces of life: the protective effect of salt on biological macromolecules. Extremophiles 6, 427–430 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-002-0275-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-002-0275-6

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