Protective osmolytes are chemical compounds that shift the protein folding/unfolding equilibrium toward the folded state under osmotic stresses. The most widely considered protection mechanism assumes that osmolytes are depleted from the protein's first solvation shell, leading to entropic stabilization of the folded state. However, recent theoretical and experimental studies suggest that prote...

of medium osmolarity are generally deleterious to bacterial cell growth. The ability of organism to adapt to osmotic stress is a fundamental biological process that protects them against fluctuations in water activity and solute content in their environment 1. Many organisms including bacteria, yeast, plants and animals can adapt to various hyperosmotic stress by accumulating low-molecular-mass...

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, but they also have nutritional and therapeutic values and are becoming popular as dietary supplements (1). These molecules also find wide applications in protein research and biotechnology product development. The idea that they could have value in such applications stems from the use of certain amino acids and other low– molecular-weight organic...