Such compounds are called compatible solutes (Bohnert and Shen [1999]).
Microorganisms produce and accumulate compatible solutes aiming at protecting themselves from environmental stresses.
The intracellular carbohydrates trehalose and glycogen are compatible solutes that resist osmotic pressure across the cytoplasmic membrane.
For this review, we focused on enzymes associated with ROS scavenging and biosynthesis of compatible solutes and sodium transporters.
The cause effect relationship between accumulation of compatible solutes and stress protection still remains to be fully understood [80].
Accumulation of compatible solutes is considered a key adaptation mechanism in many plants in response to abiotic stress.
Some plants have been genetically engineered to express enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of various compatible solutes.
Many bacteria amass compatible solutes to fend-off the detrimental effects of high osmolarity on cellular physiology and water content.
Furthermore, analysis of such transgenic plants has begun to clarify the roles of compatible solutes in stress tolerance.
A possible explanation for this different behavior is that sucrose belongs to the compatible solutes, while glucose potentially interferes with the bacterial metabolism.
The first is the synthesis and accumulation of osmoprotectants, also known as compatible solutes, which have a small molecular mass and a high solubility.
