Comparative analysis of genome sequence data from mesophilic and hyperthermophilic micro-organisms has revealed a strong bias against specific thermolabile aminoacid residues (. N and Q) in hyperthermophilic proteins. The N þ Q content of class II xylose isomerases (XIs) from mesophiles, moderate thermophiles, and hyperthermophiles was examined. It was found to correlate inversely with the growth temperature of the source organism in all cases examined, except for the previously uncharacterized XI from Bacillus licheniformis DSM13 (BLXI), which had an N þ Q content comparable to that of homologs from much more thermophilic sources. .
