Identification of genes involved in salt adaptation in the archaeon Methanosarcina mazei Go1 using genome-wide gene expression profiling

Methanosarcina mazei is a nonhalophilic methanogen that can adapt to 800 mM NaCl. Microarray studies have been used to examine the effect of elevated salinities on the regulation of gene expression in M. mazei. Eighty-four genes of different functional categories, such as solute transport and biosynthesis, Na+ export, stress response, ion, protein and phosphate transport, metabolic enzymes, regulatory proteins, DNA-modification systems, and cell-surface modulators, were found to be stronger expressed at high salinities. Moreover, 10 genes encoding different metabolic functions including potassium uptake and ATP synthesis were reduced in expression under high salt. The overall expression profiles suggest that M. mazei is able to adapt to high salinities by multiple upregulation of many different cellular functions including protective pathways such as solute transport and biosynthesis, import of phosphate, export of Na+, and upregulation of pathways for modification of DNA and cell surface architecture.