Enigmatic Microorganisms and Life in Extreme Environments

Hardbound  700pp  ISBN 0792354923      £207.00

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This volume covers the fields of origin, evolution and phylogenesis from prokaryotic to eukaryotic cells. The eminent authors, experts in their fields, review the three kingdoms of life (Archea, Eubacteria and Eukarya) from molecular evolutionary levels to ecological aspects in enigmatic habitats, including general reviews of puzzling pro-and eukaryotic organisms and their domains. We discuss dry habitats, thermophilic (cells in hot springs and undersea thermal vents up to 110°C), psychrophilic (cryophiles) and halophilic (high salt concentrations) niches which among the harshest conditions found on Earth where microbial life is frequently detected. Some chapters deal with the organisms which grow in extreme pH conditions (acidity vs. alkalinity), and under hydrostatic pressure in the deep sea, and microbial growth on petroleum. Other contributors present their research on aerobiology and microbes growing in various gases and various levels of radiation, including cellular morphological modification in these extremophilic microbes. This volume also includes the symbiotic association between two or more organisms on the endocellular and exocellular levels. Finally one paper identifies the extremophiles as candidates for exobiology. This is a valuable comprehensive volume in English that covers most of the extremophiles in a new light with current research data.

Contents

Foreword; R.L. Chapman. Preface; J. Seckbach. Acknowledgement.

I: In the Beginning: Origin and Evolution of the First Cells. 1: Tracing the Relationships among the Eubacteria using F70 Type Sigma Factors; T.M. Gruber, D.A. Bryant. 2: Gene Transfer in Early Evolution; L. Olendzenski, J.P. Gogarten. 3: The Evolution of Algae; A.W.D. Larkum. 4: From Bacteria to Protista; H. Nakamura. 5: Eukaryogenesis: The Search for an Evolutionary Transition towards Intelligence in an Extreme Environmental Habitat of the Outer Solar System; J. Chela-Flores. 6: Fossil Bacteria; F. Westall. 7: Growth and Organisms in Ammonia: Kakabekia, a Microbial Enigma; B.Z. Siegel.

II: Enigmatic Microorganisms. 8: Enigmatic Unicellar Protista: Are They Really Enigmatic? The Algae Case; D.J. Chapman. 9: The Prochlorophytes An Algal Enigma. Biology of Chlorophyll a/b Containing Photosynthetic Prokaryotes; A.F. Post. 10: Cryptomonad Systematics An Algal Enigma? P. Kugrens. 11: The Organellar Genomes of Cyanidioschyzon merolae; N. Ohta, N. Sato, T. Kuroiwa.

III: The Versatile Extension of Life. 12: The Versatility of Microorganisms; M.M. Walsh, J. Seckbach. 13: Eukaryotic Cells under Extreme Conditions; D.McL. Roberts. 14: The Poikilotrophic Micro-Organism and its Environment. Microbial Strategies of Establishment, Growth and Survival; A.A. Gorbushina, W.E. Krumbein. 15: The Study of Enigmatic Microbial Communities; T.E. Jensen, W.A. Corpe. 16: Nanobacteria and Man; E. Olavi Kajander, M. Björklund, N. Çiftçioglu. 17: An Enigma in Marine Nanoplankton. The Role of Star-Like Structures Produced by Phaeocystis; M.-J. Chrétiennot-Dinet. 18: Algal Versatility in Various Extreme Environments; J. Elster.

IV: Microorganisms in Extreme Environments. Dryness. 19: Enigmatic Desert Soil Algae, Soil Algal Flora of the Western U.S.A. and Baja California, Mexico; V.R. Flechtner. 20: Life in the Rocks Endolithic Algae; N. van Thielen, D.J. Garbary. 21: Lithobionts in the Eastern Mediterranean; J. Garty. Temperature Effects. i. Thermophiles. 22: Fine Structure of Hyperthermophilic Prokaryotes; R. Rachel. 23: The Phylogeny of Thermophiles and Hyperthermophiles and the Three Domains of Life. The Phylogeny of Thermophiles; D. Bhattacharya, T. Friedl, H. Schmidt. 24: Life in the Extreme: New Prokaryotes Living in High Temperature Low pH Environments; R.L. Weiss Bizzoco. ii. Psychrophiles. 25: Psychrophilic Yeasts; H.S. Vishniac. 26: Antarctic Microfungi; S. Onofri. Halophiles. 27: The Enigma of Square and Triangular Halophilic Archaea; A. Oren. 28: Microbial Life in the Dead Sea; A. Ventosa, D.R. Arahal. 29: Salt Sensitivity o f Cells; H. Nakamura. 30: Survival of Halophilic Bacteria in Ancient Salts: Possibilities and Potentials; R.H. Vreeland, W.D. Rozenzweig. 31: Dunaliella &bgr;-Carotene. From Science to Commerce; A. Ben-Amotz. 32: Haloarchaeal Growth Physiology; R.F. Shand, A.M. Perez. Living in Enormous pH Ranges. i. Acidophiles. 33: The Cyanidiophyceae: Hot Spring Acidophilic Algae; J. Seckbach. 34: Revision of Comparative Traits for the Acido-and Thermophilic Red Algae Cyanidium and Galdieria; W. Gross. 35: Mechanism and Evolution of Organelle Division; R. Itoh, T. Kuroiwa. 36: Dunaliella Acidophila: A Most Extreme Acidophilic Alga; U. Pick. ii. Alkalophiles. 37: Alkaliphilic Microorganisms; M. Kamekura. Barophiles. 38: A Global Perspective on the Microbial Abundance and Activity in the Deep Subsurface; T.C. Onstott, T.J. Phelps, T. Kieft, F.S. Colwell, D.L. Balkwill, J.K. Frederickson, F.J. Brockman. 39: Membrane-Based Adaptions of Deep-Sea Piezophiles; D.H. Bartlett, K.A. Bidle. 40: Chemoautotrophic Bacteria Marine Invertebrate Symbioses. Adaptions for Autotrophic Carbon and Nitrogen Assimilation; R.W. Lee.

V: Effect of Substances, Gases and Irradiations. 41: Growth of Extremophiles on Petroleum; J.M. Foght, D.M. McFarlane. 42: Metallogenium A Microbial Enigma; D. Klaveness. 43: Microbes and Radiation; L.J. Rothschild. 44: The Unknown Life of Airborne Algae; W. Reissner.

VI: Living Together: Symbiosis. 45: Organisms Living inside Others. The Symbiotic Wonders; D.P. Zook. 46: Symbiogenesis of Bacteria within Amoebae. Symbiogenesis in Amoebae; K.W. Jeon. 47: Symbiotic Associations between Metanogenic Archaea, Protists and Metazoa: Evolutionary Implications; J.H.P. Hackstein, A.H.A.M. van Hoek, W.W. Sprenger, J. Rosenberg. 48: Cyanobacteria in Symbioses with Plants and Fungi; B. Bergman, K. Bateman, U. Rasmussen. 49: The Hard Life of Prokaryotes in the Leaf Cavities of Azolla; M. Grilli Caiola, C. Forni. 50: Freshwater Algal Symbioses in Protoza and Invertebrates; V.A.R. Huss. 51: Intracellular Symbiotic Bacteria within Insects; H. Charles, P. Nardon. 52: The Mysterious Interrelationships between Fungi and Plants: The Case of Endosymbionts; J.F. White, P.V. Reddy, C.W. Bacon, D. Cabral.

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Kluwer : animal science : bacteriology : cell biology : ecology : environmental science : evolution : extremophiles : microbiology : molecular biology