Genomic Analysis of Salt Tolerance in Haloarchaea and the Role of Radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) Enzymes in Osmotic Regulation
Author: Aritza Jimenez-Casas
Faculty Supervisor: José R. de la Torre
Department: Biology
Haloarchaea are extremophilic organisms which possess evolutionary adaptation of mechanisms for survival in various extreme environments. Focusing on high salinity environments, most haloarchaea require at least 1.5 mol/L of sodium chloride to survive and grow. The membranes structures of these organisms are essential for their survival, they are composed of a unique single lipid layer that contains a phytanyl carbon side-chain. It is built from isoprene and are held together by an ether linkage to the glycerol. These side chains can form multiple carbon rings in the presence of certain chemicals. The question posed - how does the presence and abundance of Radical SAM enzymes in the genome of haloarchaea organisms correlate with their ability to tolerate varying salt concentrations in their environment? It is hypothesized that the more abundance of the Radical SAM enzyme present in the genome will correlates with higher salt tolerance of haloarchaea organisms. Methods will include comparing the presence of Radical SAM enzyme in the genome of multiple organism by using databases like IMG , the analysis using phylogenetic, and correlation with environmental factors. This research will help with the understanding of microbial genomics and complexity of the extremophile membrane for these organisms' survival.