Archaea as a Model System for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Archaea represents the third domain of life, displaying a closer relationship with eukaryotes than bacteria. These microorganisms are valuable model systems for molecular biology and biotechnology. In fact, nowadays, methanogens, halophiles, thermophilic euryarchaeota, and crenarchaeota are the four...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Biomolecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/13/1/114 |
| _version_ | 1827628153250512896 |
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| author | Federica De Lise Roberta Iacono Marco Moracci Andrea Strazzulli Beatrice Cobucci-Ponzano |
| author_facet | Federica De Lise Roberta Iacono Marco Moracci Andrea Strazzulli Beatrice Cobucci-Ponzano |
| author_sort | Federica De Lise |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Archaea represents the third domain of life, displaying a closer relationship with eukaryotes than bacteria. These microorganisms are valuable model systems for molecular biology and biotechnology. In fact, nowadays, methanogens, halophiles, thermophilic euryarchaeota, and crenarchaeota are the four groups of archaea for which genetic systems have been well established, making them suitable as model systems and allowing for the increasing study of archaeal genes’ functions. Furthermore, thermophiles are used to explore several aspects of archaeal biology, such as stress responses, DNA replication and repair, transcription, translation and its regulation mechanisms, CRISPR systems, and carbon and energy metabolism. Extremophilic archaea also represent a valuable source of new biomolecules for biological and biotechnological applications, and there is growing interest in the development of engineered strains. In this review, we report on some of the most important aspects of the use of archaea as a model system for genetic evolution, the development of genetic tools, and their application for the elucidation of the basal molecular mechanisms in this domain of life. Furthermore, an overview on the discovery of new enzymes of biotechnological interest from archaea thriving in extreme environments is reported. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:27:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-df80f78770cb4b8b8a33804238911b24 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2218-273X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:27:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomolecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-df80f78770cb4b8b8a33804238911b242023-11-30T21:22:58ZengMDPI AGBiomolecules2218-273X2023-01-0113111410.3390/biom13010114Archaea as a Model System for Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyFederica De Lise0Roberta Iacono1Marco Moracci2Andrea Strazzulli3Beatrice Cobucci-Ponzano4Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, National Research Council of Italy, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126 Naples, ItalyInstitute of Biosciences and BioResources, National Research Council of Italy, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126 Naples, ItalyInstitute of Biosciences and BioResources, National Research Council of Italy, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, ItalyArchaea represents the third domain of life, displaying a closer relationship with eukaryotes than bacteria. These microorganisms are valuable model systems for molecular biology and biotechnology. In fact, nowadays, methanogens, halophiles, thermophilic euryarchaeota, and crenarchaeota are the four groups of archaea for which genetic systems have been well established, making them suitable as model systems and allowing for the increasing study of archaeal genes’ functions. Furthermore, thermophiles are used to explore several aspects of archaeal biology, such as stress responses, DNA replication and repair, transcription, translation and its regulation mechanisms, CRISPR systems, and carbon and energy metabolism. Extremophilic archaea also represent a valuable source of new biomolecules for biological and biotechnological applications, and there is growing interest in the development of engineered strains. In this review, we report on some of the most important aspects of the use of archaea as a model system for genetic evolution, the development of genetic tools, and their application for the elucidation of the basal molecular mechanisms in this domain of life. Furthermore, an overview on the discovery of new enzymes of biotechnological interest from archaea thriving in extreme environments is reported.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/13/1/114archaeahyperthermophilesrecodingmolecular biologyCAZymesmetagenomic |
| spellingShingle | Federica De Lise Roberta Iacono Marco Moracci Andrea Strazzulli Beatrice Cobucci-Ponzano Archaea as a Model System for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Biomolecules archaea hyperthermophiles recoding molecular biology CAZymes metagenomic |
| title | Archaea as a Model System for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology |
| title_full | Archaea as a Model System for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology |
| title_fullStr | Archaea as a Model System for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Archaea as a Model System for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology |
| title_short | Archaea as a Model System for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology |
| title_sort | archaea as a model system for molecular biology and biotechnology |
| topic | archaea hyperthermophiles recoding molecular biology CAZymes metagenomic |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/13/1/114 |
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