Enigmatic Microorganisms and Life in Extreme Environments

• I. In the Beginning: Origin and Evolution of the First Cells.- 1: Tracing the Relationships among the Eubacteria using ?70- Type Sigma Factors.- 2: Gene Transfer in Early Evolution.- 3: The Evolution of Algae.- 4: From Bacteria to Protista.- 5: Eukaryogenesis: The Search for an Evolutionary Transition towards Intelligence in an Extreme Environmental Habitat of the Outer Solar System.- 6: Fossil Bacteria.- 7: Growth and Organisms in Ammonia: Kakabekia, a Microbial Enigma.- II. Enigmatic Microorganisms.- 8: Enigmatic Unicellular Protista: Are They Really Enigmatic? The Algae Case.- 9: The Prochlorophytes — An Algal Enigma. Biology of Chlorophyll a/b Containing Photosynthetic Prokaryotes.- 10: Cryptomonad Systemastics — An Algal Enigma?.- 11: The Organellar Genomes of Cyanidioschyzon merolae.- III. The Versatile Extension of Life.- 12: The Versatility of Microorganisms.- 13: Eukaryotic Cells under Extreme Conditions.- 14: The Poikilotrophic Micro-Organism and its Environment. Microbial Strategies of Establishment, Growth and Survival.- 15: The Study of Enigmatic Microbial Communities.- 16: Nanobacteria and Man.- 17: An Enigma in Marine Nanoplankton. The Role of Star-Like Structures Produced by Phaeocystis.- 18: Algal Versatility in Various Extreme Environments.- IV. Microorganisms in Extreme Environments.- Dryness.- 19: Enigmatic Desert Soil Algae. Soil Algal Flora of the Western U.S.A. and Baja California, Mexico.- 20: Life in the Rocks — Endolithic Algae.- 21: Lithobionts in the Eastern Mediterranean.- Temperature Effects.- i. Thermophiles.- 22: Fine Structure of Hyperthermophilic Prokaryotes.- 23: The Phylogeny of Thermophiles and Hyperthermophiles and the Three Domains of Life. The Phylogeny of Thermophiles.- 24: Life in the Extreme: New Prokaryotes Living inHigh Temperature Low pH Environments.- ii. Psychrophiles.- 25: Psychrophilic Yeasts.- 26: Antarctic Microfungi.- Halophiles.- 27: The Enigma of Square and Triangular Halophilic Archaea.- 28: Microbial Life in the Dead Sea.- 29: Salt Sensitivity of Cells.- 30: Survival of Halophilic Bacteria in Ancient Salts: Possibilities and Potentials.- 31: Dunaliella ?-Carotene. From Science to Commerce.- 32: Haloarchaeal Growth Physiology.- Living in Enormous pH Ranges.- i. Acidophiles.- 33: The Cyanidiophyceae: Hot Spring Acidophilic Algae.- 34: Revision of Comparative Traits for the Acido- and Thermophilic Red Algae Cyanidium and Galdieria.- 35: Mechanism and Evolution of Organelle Division.- 36: Dunaliella Acidophila — A Most Extreme Acidophilic Alga.- ii. Alkalophiles.- 37: Alkaliphilic Microorganisms.- Barophiles.- 38: A Global Perspective on the Microbial Abundance and Activity in the Deep Subsurface.- 39: Membrane-Based Adaptions of Deep-Sea Piezophiles.- 40: Chemoautotrophic Bacteria — Marine Invertebrate Symbioses. Adaptions for Autotrophic Carbon and Nitrogen Assimilation.- V. Effect of Substances, Gases and Irradiatons.- 41: Growth of Extremophiles on Petroleum.- 42: Metallogenium — A Microbial Enigma.- 43: Microbes and Radiation.- 44: The Unknown Life of Airborne Algae.- VI. Living Together: Symbiosis.- 45: Organisms Living inside Others. The Symbiotic Wonders.- 46: Symbiogenesis of Bacteria within Amoebae. Symbiogenesis in Amoebae.- 47: Symbiotic Associations between Metanogenic Archaea, Protists and Metazoa: Evolutionary Implications.- 48: Cyanobacteria in Symbioses with Plants and Fungi.- 49: The Hard Life of Prokaryotes in the Leaf Cavities of Azolla.- 50: Freshwater Algal Symbioses in Protoza and Invertebrates.- 51: Intracellular Symbiotic Bacteria withinInsects.- 52: The Mysterious Interrelationships between Fungi and Plants: The Case of Endosymbionts.- VII. Index.

"It is a good reference source for traditional extreme habitats and also provides many novel topics, such as lab-induced endosymbiosis, and good review chapters on basic physiology and metabolism." (European Journal of Phycology, 36 (2001)