Bacterial Osmolyte System and Its Physiological Roles

Life on this earth is complex which is well proven by the various adaptations which living beings pose while thriving in their ever-changing environment. Among the various life forms, bacteria have possibly always emerged as the most adaptable species. This potency of bacteria owes to their ability to develop and evolve complex strategies that manages the changing conditions. In this chapter, we discuss bacterial osmolytes and their accumulation and examine their role in bacterial homeostasis to prevent the deleterious effects of environmental fluctuations. Accumulation of osmolytes which are low molecular weight organic solutes is pivotal. They help the cell to proliferate along with providing immunity against salinity, increase in temperature, and freeze-thaw treatment. Glycine betaine, proline, ecotine, trehalose, sucrose, polyols, and their derivatives are well-known organic osmolytes in bacterial system. The accumulation of these molecules has been shown to promote survival of several bacterial pathogens and facilitate their colonization, thus causing infection. Hence, deciphering the genes encoding them and inactivating these genes can serve as a prominent approach to prevent bacterial growth.