Cytoplasmatic Bacterial Membrane Responses to Environmental Perturbations

Bacteria can adapt to various environmental factors such as temperature, pressure, ions, nutrients and toxic substances by modifying their membranes to maintain them in a fluid state. These modifications within the cytoplasmatic membrane particularly result from changes in the fatty acid composition and interaction between proteins and lipids. Fatty acids, mainly phospholipid fatty acids, play a role as a good biomarker of changes of physiological status of microorganisms caused by external factors. A greater understanding of the detailed physiological mechanisms of bacterial membrane lipid adaptation, especially to toxic substances and solvents, are important for researchers who use bacteria in bioremediation and biotransformation processes.