Life in acid: pH homeostasis in acidophiles
Abstract
Microorganisms that have a pH optimum for growth of less than pH 3 are termed "acidophiles". To grow at low pH, acidophiles must maintain a pH gradient of several pH units across the cellular membrane while producing ATP by the influx of protons through the F(0)F(1) ATPase. Recent advances in the biochemical analysis of acidophiles coupled to sequencing of several genomes have shed new insights into acidophile pH homeostatic mechanisms. Acidophiles seem to share distinctive structural and functional characteristics including a reversed membrane potential, highly impermeable cell membranes and a predominance of secondary transporters. Also, once protons enter the cytoplasm, methods are required to alleviate effects of a lowered internal pH. This review highlights recent insights regarding how acidophiles are able to survive and grow in these extreme conditions.
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For chemical extremes, such as high and low pH, high salinity, and high concentrations of heavy metals, many adaptations involve enhancing cell walls, altering the internal chemistry, and producing special transport proteins to control entry and exit of molecules.
“For chemical extremes, such as high and low pH, high salinity, and high concentrations of heavy metals, many of the adaptations involve enhancing cell walls, altering the internal chemistry, and producing special transport proteins to control entry and exit of molecules (e.g., Baker-Austin and Dopson, 2007).”
From The Astrobiology Primer v2.0 (2016) · cites this paper as Baker-Austin and Dopson, 2007
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“…extremes, such as high and low pH, high salinity, and high concentrations of heavy metals, many of the adaptations involve enhancing cell walls, altering the internal chemistry, and producing special transport proteins to control entry and exit of molecules (e.g., Baker-Austin and Dopson, 2007).”
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- Authors
- Baker-Austin, C., & Dopson, M.
- Affiliations
- Umeå University (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Dopson, Mark
- ORCID
- Dopson, Mark
- Venue
- Trends in Microbiology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2007-04
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 165-171
- ISSN
- 0966-842X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2095172074
- Cited by
- 659
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 41 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 64 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 41 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 34 · 2016: 46 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 26
- FWCI
- 1.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Trends in Microbiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Energy (DEFC0907SR22506)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › ATP Synthase and ATPases Research
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Metal Extraction and Bioleaching
- Keywords
- acidophiles, pH homeostasis, proton gradient, ATP synthase, secondary transporters, intracellular pH
- MeSH terms
- Acids, Cell Membrane, Homeostasis, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Membrane Potentials, Bacterial Physiological Phenomena, Proton-Motive Force
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