Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Adaptation at the Extremes of Life: Experimental Evolution with the Extremophile Archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius
Published on: June 14, 2024
Rieske iron-sulfur proteins from extremophilic organisms
1Institut für Biochemie der Universität Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany. schmidt@biochem.uni-luebeck.de
Abstract:
Proteins located on the outside of the membranes of organisms thriving under extreme conditions like high or low pH, or high salinity face special challenges maintaining their structural integrity. This review is focused on the Rieske iron-sulfur proteins from these organisms. Rieske proteins are essential subunits of the cytochrome bc-complexes, which are often of crucial importance for the energy metabolism of the cells. On the basis of the available data we propose strategies by which these proteins are able to stabilize their noncovalent bound cofactor and adapt to the function under extreme conditions.
Related Concept Videos
Diversity of Archaea III
Microbial Nutrition
Microbes and Other Elemental Cycles
Diversity of Archaea IV
Deep Sea Microbial Ecology
Cell Inclusions

