The molecular basis of salt adaptation in Methanosarcina mazei Gö1

The study on the molecular basis of salt adaptation and its regulation in archaea is still in its infancy, but genomics and functional genome analyses combined with classical biochemistry shed light on the processes conferring salt adaptation in the methanogenic archaeon Methanosarcina mazei Gö1. In this article, we will review discoveries made within the last years that will culminate in the description of the overall cellular response of M. mazei Gö1 to elevated salinities. This response includes accumulation of solutes and export of Na+ as well as potential uptake/export of K+ but also a restructuring of the cell surface.