Abstract
Deep sea is characterized by high pressure
and low temperature, and the organisms inhabiting the
environment have adapted to such extreme conditions.
High pressure and low temperature exert profound
physiological impacts on bilayer membranes, primarily
resulting in tighter packing and restricting the rotational
motion of acyl chains. The maintenance of appropriate
membrane fluidity is crucial for the integrity of
membrane proteins and cell survival under high pressure
and low temperature. Of the spectroscopic techniques
available to study membrane properties, fluorescence
anisotropy measurement is a common useful method
providing information on dynamic membrane properties.
Recently we developed a new system that enabled
time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy measurement
under high pressure. In this paper, I describe a renewed
view of the membrane properties in deep-sea piezophile
Shewanella violacea when the cells are exposed to high
pressure.
