Rote Überlebenskünstler in Salzlagunen

Halobacterium is adapted to high salt concentrations of 5 M NaCl and even survives in salt crystals for hundreds of years. Bacteriorhodopsin, gas vesicles, and halophilic enzymes are specific traits used for biotechnological purposes. As archaeon, Halobacterium shows eukaryotic features in transcription, translation and replication. The microbe gained more than 1.000 metabolic genes from bacteria enabling heterotrophic growth in oxygen containing environments.