Adaptations of Prokaryotes to Their Biotopes
and to Physicochemical Conditions in Natural
or Anthropized Environments
9
Philippe Normand, Pierre Caumette, Philippe Goulas, Petar Pujic, and
Florence Wisniewski-Dye ´
Abstract
Microorganisms live in a constantly changing environment and must modify their physiology and morphology to cope with these changes. The main systems for molecular adaptation to modifications of environmental conditions and the behavioral responses of
prokaryotes in various habitats, excluding extreme habitats, are discussed. The main
regulation systems that are described are transcription, signal transduction, and protein
modifications. Three specialized systems are also presented in details: quorum sensing,
phase variation, and antibiosis. Quorum sensing allows bacteria to trigger some responses
when their density is high enough to permit the function to be successful. Phase variation is
an adaptive process by which a bacterial subpopulation undergoes frequent, usually
reversible phenotypic changes resulting from genetic or epigenetic alterations, allowing
rapid modification of the cells physiology. Antibiosis is the ability to synthesize molecules
that will impact other taxa and eventually provide a selective advantage to which some
microbes respond by resisting to these molecules.
Finally are described the physiological responses to various environmental parameters
such as temperature, oxidants, salinity, acidity, pressure, desiccation, and how this
translates in different biotopes such as soil, water bodies, sediments, biofilms, mats, air,
and manmade biotopes.
Keywords
Adaptation Adaptability Antibiosis Fitness Glycosylation Homeostasis Metabolism
Morphology Physiology Protein modification Quorum sensing Phase variation
Signal transduction Transcription
9.1
Introduction
Adaptation*, from the Latin prefix “ad,” indicating the
purpose of the action, and “Aptus” capable, is a word that
designates all morphological and physiological characteristics deriving from selection that enables organisms
to grow and multiply in a given biotope. This definition
implies that any physiological characteristic is an adaptation, but this chapter will be restricted to adaptations that
allow prokaryotic microorganisms to change their shape
and physiological and enzymatic setup, beyond the basic
metabolism. Adaptability is the ability to adapt, and fitness*, which derives from the Old English “fitte” meaning
P. Normand* (*) P. Pujic F. Wisniewski-Dye ´
Microbial Ecology Center, UMR CNRS 5557 / USC INRA 1364,
Universite ´ Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
e-mail: philippe.normand@univ-lyon1.fr
P. Caumette* (*) P. Goulas
Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour
l’Environnement et les Mate ´riaux (IPREM), UMR CNRS 5254,
Universite ´ de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, B.P. 1155,
64013 Pau Cedex, France
e-mail: pierre.caumette@univ-pau.fr; philippe.goulas@univ-pau.fr
* Chapter Coordinators
J.-C. Bertrand et al. (eds.), Environmental Microbiology: Fundamentals and Applications: Microbial Ecology,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-9118-2_9, # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015
293
and to Physicochemical Conditions in Natural
or Anthropized Environments
9
Philippe Normand, Pierre Caumette, Philippe Goulas, Petar Pujic, and
Florence Wisniewski-Dye ´
Abstract
Microorganisms live in a constantly changing environment and must modify their physiology and morphology to cope with these changes. The main systems for molecular adaptation to modifications of environmental conditions and the behavioral responses of
prokaryotes in various habitats, excluding extreme habitats, are discussed. The main
regulation systems that are described are transcription, signal transduction, and protein
modifications. Three specialized systems are also presented in details: quorum sensing,
phase variation, and antibiosis. Quorum sensing allows bacteria to trigger some responses
when their density is high enough to permit the function to be successful. Phase variation is
an adaptive process by which a bacterial subpopulation undergoes frequent, usually
reversible phenotypic changes resulting from genetic or epigenetic alterations, allowing
rapid modification of the cells physiology. Antibiosis is the ability to synthesize molecules
that will impact other taxa and eventually provide a selective advantage to which some
microbes respond by resisting to these molecules.
Finally are described the physiological responses to various environmental parameters
such as temperature, oxidants, salinity, acidity, pressure, desiccation, and how this
translates in different biotopes such as soil, water bodies, sediments, biofilms, mats, air,
and manmade biotopes.
Keywords
Adaptation Adaptability Antibiosis Fitness Glycosylation Homeostasis Metabolism
Morphology Physiology Protein modification Quorum sensing Phase variation
Signal transduction Transcription
9.1
Introduction
Adaptation*, from the Latin prefix “ad,” indicating the
purpose of the action, and “Aptus” capable, is a word that
designates all morphological and physiological characteristics deriving from selection that enables organisms
to grow and multiply in a given biotope. This definition
implies that any physiological characteristic is an adaptation, but this chapter will be restricted to adaptations that
allow prokaryotic microorganisms to change their shape
and physiological and enzymatic setup, beyond the basic
metabolism. Adaptability is the ability to adapt, and fitness*, which derives from the Old English “fitte” meaning
P. Normand* (*) P. Pujic F. Wisniewski-Dye ´
Microbial Ecology Center, UMR CNRS 5557 / USC INRA 1364,
Universite ´ Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
e-mail: philippe.normand@univ-lyon1.fr
P. Caumette* (*) P. Goulas
Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour
l’Environnement et les Mate ´riaux (IPREM), UMR CNRS 5254,
Universite ´ de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, B.P. 1155,
64013 Pau Cedex, France
e-mail: pierre.caumette@univ-pau.fr; philippe.goulas@univ-pau.fr
* Chapter Coordinators
J.-C. Bertrand et al. (eds.), Environmental Microbiology: Fundamentals and Applications: Microbial Ecology,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-9118-2_9, # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015
293