Osmoprotectant
Osmoprotectants or compatible solutes are small organic molecules with neutral charge and low toxicity at high concentrations that act as
Intracellular osmoprotectant concentrations are regulated in response to environmental conditions such as
Role
Plants
Compatible solutes have a functional role in agriculture. In high stress conditions, such as drought or high salinity, plants that naturally create or take up osmoprotectants show increased survival rates. By inducing expression or uptake of these molecules in crops in which they are naturally not present, there is an increase in the areas in which they are able to be grown. One documented reason for increased growth is regulation of toxic
Bacteria
Osmoprotectants are also important for the maintenance of top soil bacteria populations. Desiccation of top soils results in increased salinity. In these situations, the soil microbes increase the concentration of these molecule in their cytoplasm into the molar range allowing them to persist until conditions approve.[2] In extreme cases, osmoprotectants allow cells to enter cryptobiosis. In this state the cytosol and osmoprotectants become a glass-like solid that helps stabilize proteins and cell membranes from the damaging effects of desiccation.[6]
Osmoprotectants regulate gene expression in response to environmental osmolarity as compatible solutes even in small concentrations affect gene expression, ranging from inducing production of more compatible solutes to regulating components involved in infection, such as phospholipase C in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.[7]
See also
References