Genomic complexity and plasticity ensurePseudomonassuccess

Pseudomonas is a large and diverse genus of Proteobacteria that was first described in 1894. Members of the genus can be found in virtually every corner of the earth from the Arctic tundra to the tropical rainforests; from arid soils to rain clouds (Morris et al. , 2008; Wilhelm et al. , 2012). This incredible environmental adaptability is due to Pseudomonas 's extraordinary metabolic versatility. Pseudomonads can grow at temperatures ranging from 0 to 42 °C and can survive even more extreme temperatures. They have few nutritional requirements and can utilize a variety of carbon sources. Although pseudomonads grow optimally in aerobic environments, they can also utilize nitrogen for anaerobic respiration. Phenotypically, pseudomonads are characterized as Gram-negative, nonsporulating rods that are motile and possess a single polar flagellum. They can live as free-living planktonic cells or as members of a biofilm community and have the exceptional ability to translate microbial signals and environmental cues into niche-specific processes. One example of this exquisite perception is P. putida 's phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system (PTS), which is reviewed in this thematic issue of FEMS Microbiology Letters by Katharina Pfluger-Grau and Victor de Lorenzo. PTS is a complex multiprotein system that controls the post-translational regulation of proteins involved in metabolism, based on extracellular nutritional information and intracellular biochemical signals received by the bacterium. The ability of pseudomonads to sense and adapt to their environment results in an extraordinary range of activities, such as the secretion of many …