compatible solutes
Cellular stress buffers
Compatible solutes are small organic molecules that cells accumulate to protect against environmental stress—particularly high salt, drought, or extreme temperatures.
Unlike most dissolved substances, these compounds can reach high concentrations inside cells without disrupting protein function or metabolism.
Common examples include sugars, amino acids like proline, and compounds like glycine betaine.
Bacteria in salt lakes survive by producing compatible solutes.
- prolineCyclic non-essential amino acid
- glycerolTrihydric alcohol, viscous, sweet
- sugar alcoholHydrogenated carbohydrate sweetener
- sucroseGlucose-fructose disaccharide
- mannitolSix-carbon sugar alcohol
sorbitol · taurine · osmotic pressure · dehydration · water retention · extremophiles · cryoprotectant · freeze drying · stabilizer · hypersaline · cytoplasm · drought · desiccation · chaperone · protein folding · membrane · turgor · adaptation
- Extremophile Biologyheat tolerance, heat resistance, osmoregulation, cryoprotection
- salt biologyosmoregulation, osmotic pressure, hypersaline, salt lakes, salt flats
- cryoprotectantsglycerol, dimethyl sulfoxide, polyethylene glycol, sucrose, mannitol
- halophilesbrine shrimp
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