Unusual polyamines found in thermophiles stabilize nucleic acids at high temperatures

Abstract

Extreme thermophiles produce unique polyamines, especially long polyamines and branched polyamines. The author and his colleagues investigated the roles of these polyamines at high temperature. Reverse genetic studies suggested that the unique polyamines are essential for life at high temperature extremes. In an extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus, polyamines are synthesized by a new pathway. Polyamines stabilize nucleic acids. Double stranded structure was stabilized more efficiently by the presence of long polyamines, whereas stem-and-loop structures are more stabilized by the addition of a branched polyamine, tetrakis(3-aminopropyl)ammonium.