Adaptation of the Membrane Lipids of a Deep-Sea Bacterium to Changes in Hydrostatic Pressure

The fatty acid composition of the cell membrane of the barophilic marine bacterium CNPT3 was found to vary as a function of pressure. Greater amounts of unsaturated fatty acids were present in bacteria growing at higher pressures. The results suggest adaptations in the membrane lipids to environmentally relevant pressures. This response to pressure appears to be analogous to temperature-induced membrane adaptations observed in other organisms.