2021 年 31 巻 2 号 p. 54-65
High hydrostatic pressure in the range of several dozen MPa, are generally assumed to be nonlethal but exert adverse impacts on growth of organisms that are adapted to atmospheric pressure. Deep-sea organisms have established intracellular mechanisms to cope with such extreme environments. A living cell is composed of myriad molecules including nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, ions, and various low molecular compounds. These molecules interact with each other transiently or statically, eventually eliciting innumerable intermolecular interactions even in a small microbial cell. The complexity hampers the understandings of adaptive mechanisms to high pressure employed by deep-sea organisms. Studies with model organisms such as a bacterium Escherichia coli and a yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae offer breakthroughs to unravel the effects of high pressure on the complex intermolecular networks in living cells. This review summarizes recent advances in high-pressure biology as well as classic issues in this field, especially focusing on remodeling of intracellular systems to adapted to high-pressure environments.
