psychrerythraea

Psychrerythraea is a bacterium described as psychrophilic, meaning it thrives at low temperatures. It has been the subject of studies on microbial life in cold environments and the cellular strategies used to cope with cold stress.

Isolates have been recovered from cold habitats such as Arctic soils, permafrost, and cold-water ecosystems. Psychrophilic bacteria like psychrerythraea are adapted to persist under low temperatures and often experience seasonal nutrient fluctuations.

Physiological adaptations commonly observed include enzymes that retain catalytic efficiency at low temperatures and cell membranes enriched in unsaturated fatty acids to maintain fluidity. Growth for psychrerythraea strains is typically observed in the cold range, with activity decreasing at higher temperatures.

Genomic analyses have identified genes and regulatory networks associated with cold adaptation, including molecular chaperones and cold-shock proteins that help stabilize proteins and RNA.

Because of these cold-active enzymes and other adaptations, psychrerythraea and related psychrophiles are of interest for biotechnological applications, such as biocatalysis in cold processes and environmental bioremediation in cold environments.