Review
Plant Sciences
Siarhei A. Dabravolski, Stanislav V. Isayenkov
Summary: Desert cyanobacteria have developed sophisticated adaptation strategies to survive and flourish in extreme arid conditions. They play a role in improving soil properties, impacting soil ecology and the environment, and have potential applications in preventing soil erosion and desertification.
Review
Microbiology
Hai-Feng Xu, Hagai Raanan, Guo-Zheng Dai, Nadav Oren, Simon Berkowicz, Omer Murik, Aaron Kaplan, Bao-Sheng Qiu
Summary: Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are mainly found in arid and semi-arid areas, covering about 12% of the Earth's surface and playing an important role in combating desertification. Cyanobacteria, pioneers and primary producers in BSCs, have evolved multiple adaptation strategies to enhance their stress tolerance.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Zhengxin Dong, Tao Sun, Weiwen Zhang, Lei Chen
Summary: This article demonstrates the significant improvement of salt tolerance in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 (Syn7942) by expressing the ectoine biosynthetic pathway. The engineered strain showed increased growth under high salt concentrations and could even survive under lethal levels of salt. Transcriptomic analysis revealed differences in the regulation of salt adaptation between the engineered strain and the wild-type, providing valuable insights for salt tolerance engineering in cyanobacteria.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hai-Feng Xu, Guo-Zheng Dai, Yang Bai, Jin-Long Shang, Bin Zheng, De-Min Ye, Huazhong Shi, Aaron Kaplan, Bao-Sheng Qiu
Summary: This study identified a gene family of high light-inducible proteins (Hlips) that respond positively to dehydration in the Nostoc flagelliforme genome. Mutants lacking the Hlips gene cluster showed decreased desiccation tolerance due to impaired photosystem II repair, while heterologous expression of the Hlips gene cluster enhanced desiccation tolerance in Nostoc sp. PCC 7120. A transcription factor Hrf1 was also identified as a negative regulator for the adaptation of N. flagelliforme to the harsh desert environment. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the convergent evolution of desiccation tolerance through the coevolution of tandem Hlips duplication and Hrf1 in subaerial Nostoc species, providing insights into the mechanism of desiccation tolerance in photosynthetic organisms.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiujin Liu, Xiaoshuang Li, Honglan Yang, Ruirui Yang, Daoyuan Zhang
Summary: This study identified the ABA biosynthesis genes in S. caninervis and investigated their role in the plant kingdom. The results showed that ABA plays an important role in S. caninervis and that the gene structures are closely related to plant taxa.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Eunice A. Ferreira, Catarina C. Pacheco, Joao S. Rodrigues, Filipe Pinto, Pedro Lamosa, David Fuente, Javier Urchueguia, Paula Tamagnini
Summary: This study successfully produced glycine betaine using the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 as a chassis, through the construction of synthetic devices in mutant strains.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Runting Ding, Na Yang, Jianguo Liu
Summary: This study reports the osmoadaptive mechanism of an extremely halophilic archaea, H. kocurii 2020YC7, isolated from a high salt environment. The strain utilizes various strategies including K+ uptake and output, trehalose production, and glycine betaine uptake to adapt to high salt conditions. Glycine betaine acts as the primary osmotic solute at high salt concentrations, while trehalose functions as an osmotic solute at lower salt concentrations.
Article
Microbiology
Mikaela R. R. Hoellrich, Darren K. K. James, David Bustos, Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi, Louis S. S. Santiago, Nicole Pietrasiak
Summary: Carbon exchange in different biocrust types in gypsum soils is influenced by factors such as biocrust type, wetting time, and sampling date. Lichens and mosses have higher carbon fixation rates than dark and light cyanobacterial crusts, but the net carbon fixation rates and interannual variations differ among biocrust types. These findings contribute to a better understanding of carbon cycling and forecasting the impacts of global climate change on dryland carbon cycling and ecosystem functioning.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Isaac Kedem, Haim Treves, Gabriella Noble, Martin Hagemann, Omer Murik, Hagai Raanan, Nadav Oren, Mario Giordano, Aaron Kaplan
Summary: The green alga Chlorella sp. requires the presence of the filamentous cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya sp. or its components to survive desiccation in the field, suggesting a mutualistic relationship where Leptolyngbya sp. enables the survival of Chlorella sp. while inhibiting its growth.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xiao-Long Yuan, Xiang Gao, Wen Liu, Yang She, Tao Zheng, Hui-Dan Xue
Summary: This study successfully obtained desiccation-tolerant Nostoc flagelliforme liquid suspension culture through slow drying treatment, and investigated a series of biochemical, proteomic, and ultrastructural changes that occurred in cells during drying induction. The solid cultures derived from the cell suspension maintained 90% to 94% water content and nearly ninefold increased in fresh weight during the 16-day drying treatment. Biochemical analysis revealed significant increases in the biosynthesis of extracellular components, proteomic analysis identified potentially crucial proteins for desiccation tolerance, and ultrastructural observation showed structural changes in the exopolysaccharide matrix.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Roberto Contreras-Diaz, Felipe S. Carevic, Liesbeth van den Brink
Summary: Chanar has been a significant plant for indigenous people in the Atacama Desert for thousands of years. The mitogenome of G. decorticans has undergone changes that enhance its adaptation to the extreme conditions of the desert. Comparative analysis reveals unique features of the mitogenome in terms of structure and function.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Jinyu Cui, Tao Sun, Lei Chen, Weiwen Zhang
Summary: The salt tolerance of the cyanobacterium Syn2973 was successfully improved by introducing the glucosylglycerol (GG) biosynthetic pathway, overexpressing glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and downregulating the gene rfbA. The growth of the engineered strain M-2522-GgpPS-drfbA was improved by 62% compared to the control strain M-pSI-pSII under 0.5M NaCl treatment at 60 hours. Comparative metabolomic analysis showed that more carbon flux was redirected from ADP-GLC to GG synthesis in the engineered strain, providing important engineering strategies for improving salt tolerance and GG production in Syn2973.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Remy Perez, Mohammed Benbachir, Corentin Decroo, Cyril Mascolo, Ruddy Wattiez, Serge Aron
Summary: Some ant species adapt to hot and arid environments by varying worker size and morphology, which enhances resistance to heat stress. Water content, water loss, and protein regulation play a key role in thermal resistance. Large and polymorphic ants are better at tolerating heat stress, while small and monomorphic ants have different adaptive strategies.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ruirui Yang, Xiaoshuang Li, Qilin Yang, Mingqi Zhao, Wenwan Bai, Yuqing Liang, Xiujin Liu, Bei Gao, Daoyuan Zhang
Summary: This study analyzed the transcriptome profiles of S. caninervis during the dehydration-rehydration process and identified differentially expressed transcripts related to stress response, photosynthesis, and transcription factor activity. The results provide insights into how S. caninervis adapts to desiccation stress and offer potential gene resources for transgenic crop breeding.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Pablo Perez-Portilla, Juan Araya, Karem Gallardo, Adriana Aranguiz-Acuna
Summary: Cyanobium strain isolated from the Salado River in the Atacama Desert showed higher tolerance to arsenic and cadmium compared to other commonly used metal(loid)s-bioremediation species. It was able to remove up to 90% of arsenic under alkaline conditions within the first 3 hours of exposure, indicating potential biotechnological applications and insights into evolutionary adaptation to arid environments.
JOURNAL OF PLANKTON RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Paula Blazquez-Sanchez, Felipe Engelberger, Jeronimo Cifuentes-Anticevic, Christian Sonnendecker, Aransa Grinen, Javiera Reyes, Beatriz Diez, Victoria Guixe, P. Konstantin Richter, Wolfgang Zimmermann, Cesar A. Ramirez-Sarmiento
Summary: PET is a widely used synthetic plastic in packaging industry and a major component of plastic waste in the environment. Some microorganisms encode enzymes to catalyze the depolymerization of PET. Enzymes from Antarctic bacteria have been found to efficiently hydrolyze PET at 25 degrees C, contributing to the potential biodegradation of PET at moderate temperatures.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kathryn M. Kauffman, William K. Chang, Julia M. Brown, Fatima A. Hussain, Joy Y. Yang, Martin F. Polz, Libusha Kelly
Summary: This article investigates the interactions between bacteria and viruses, and reveals strain-specificity and recombination in phages. The study suggests that recombination is an important mode of phage evolution in microbial communities.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Jean-Baptiste Ramond, Karen Jordaan, Beatriz Diez, Sandra M. Heinzelmann, Don A. Cowan
Summary: Arid ecosystems cover a significant portion of the Earth's terrestrial surface and contribute to the global nitrogen pool. These ecosystems are characterized by extreme conditions that limit the presence of macrofauna and flora and hinder plant growth and productivity. Microbes play a crucial role in the nitrogen cycling processes that drive primary production and nutrient biogeochemical cycling in these ecosystems. This survey provides insights into the current understanding of microbial-mediated nitrogen processes in different edaphic and refuge niches in arid environments.
MICROBIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Maria E. Alcaman-Arias, Jeronimo Cifuentes-Anticevic, Wilson Castillo-Inaipil, Laura Farias, Cynthia Sanhueza, Beatriz Fernandez-Gomez, Josefa Verdugo, Leslie Abarzua, Christina Ridley, Javier Tamayo-Leiva, Beatriz Diez
Summary: Nitrogen fixation is an important process for marine ecosystems, and this study found that it occurs at higher rates under dark conditions in Chile Bay. Chemosynthetic and heterotrophic bacteria play a significant role in nitrogen fixation in this area. The N:P ratio is an important factor affecting the nitrogen fixation process.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jose Ignacio Arroyoa, Beatriz Diez, Christopher P. Kempes, Geoffrey B. West, Pablo A. Marquet
Summary: This study proposes a general theory for temperature dependence in biology based on chemical reaction rates, which can describe the temperature response of various biological quantities from quantum to classical scales and fits well with empirical data.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Damien Piel, Maxime Bruto, Yannick Labreuche, Francois Blanquart, David Goudenege, Ruben Barcia-Cruz, Sabine Chenivesse, Sophie Le Panse, Adele James, Javier Dubert, Bruno Petton, Erica Lieberman, K. Mathias Wegner, Fatima A. Hussain, Kathryn M. Kauffman, Martin F. Polz, David Bikard, Sylvain Gandon, Eduardo P. C. Rocha, Frederique Le Roux
Summary: This study investigates the coevolution between bacteriophages and their bacterial hosts, revealing the changes in resistance and counter-resistance mechanisms. The research finds that the adaptation of phages to local hosts is influenced by their ability to infect closely related bacteria and strain-specific defenses. The study further demonstrates the role of genetic exchanges and mobile genetic elements in the evolution of bacterial defenses and phage counter-defenses.
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Igor Brown, Tanja Woyke, Natalia Ivanova, Nicole Shapiro, Jaime Alcorta, Andrei Chistoserdov, Donald Pan, Svetlana Sarkisova, Susannah G. Tringe
Summary: The draft genome sequence of the siderophilic cyanobacterium Fischerella thermalis JSC-11, isolated from an iron-depositing hot spring, is reported. JSC-11 has bioremediation potential due to its ability to both extracellularly absorb and intracellularly mineralize colloidal iron. This genomic information will facilitate the exploration of JSC-11 for bioremediation.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pablo Vergara-Barros, Jaime Alcorta, Angelica Casanova-Katny, Dennis J. Nuernberg, Beatriz Diez
Summary: This study investigates the thermotolerance of the cyanobacterium Fischerella thermalis in hot springs, revealing its ability to maintain photosynthetic activity at high temperatures and providing insights into the genetic and metabolic mechanisms involved in thermal adaptation.
Article
Microbiology
Cameron R. R. Strachan, Xiaoqian A. A. Yu, Viktoria Neubauer, Anna J. J. Mueller, Martin Wagner, Qendrim Zebeli, Evelyne Selberherr, Martin F. F. Polz
Summary: The activities of different microbes in the cow rumen affect the host's ability to utilize plant biomass, with little attention paid to the host-rumen interface. Campylobacteraceae has been found to be abundant in the rumen epithelial microbiome, and this study focused on this group in seven cows. The results showed recent speciation within the Campylobacteraceae lineage, resulting in differences in gene expression and enzyme domain composition that impact the host's carbon source utilization and competitive ability in vivo.
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Riaan F. F. Rifkin, Surendra Vikram, Jaime Alcorta, Jean-Baptiste Ramond, Don A. A. Cowan, Mattias Jakobsson, Carina M. M. Schlebusch, Marlize Lombard
Summary: By analyzing metagenome libraries derived from the sequencing of a Later Stone Age hunter-gatherer child who lived near Ballito Bay, South Africa, about 2000 years ago, ancient DNA sequences homologous to the flea-borne typhus-like pathogen Rickettsia felis were identified, and an ancient R. felis genome was reconstructed. This provides ancient genomic evidence for the presence of Rickettsia felis in human remains from 2000 years ago, reframing previous hypotheses of R. felis as a novel or emergent pathogen in modern humans.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fabian Nies, Tanita Wein, Dustin M. Hanke, Benjamin L. Springstein, Jaime Alcorta, Claudia Taubenheim, Tal Dagan
Summary: This study reveals that natural transformation through horizontal DNA transfer is a common occurrence in the evolution of small cryptic plasmids in naturally competent organisms, but its contribution to the persistence of cryptic plasmids in Synechocystis is limited.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Ricardo Konrad, Pablo Vergara-Barros, Jaime Alcorta, Maria E. Alcaman-Arias, Gloria Levican, Christina Ridley, Beatriz Diez
Summary: In this study, the diversity and activity of sulfur-metabolizing bacteria in the non-acidic phototrophic mats of the Porcelana hot spring in Northern Patagonia, Chile were evaluated. The results show that the key players in sulfur metabolism vary in abundance along the temperature gradient, which is relevant for understanding their role in the current global climate change scenario.
Article
Microbiology
Carla Barbosa, Javier Tamayo-Leiva, Jaime Alcorta, Oscar Salgado, Linda Daniele, Diego Morata, Beatriz Diez
Summary: Temperature, pH, and hydrochemistry of terrestrial hot springs have a critical role in shaping thermal microbial communities. However, the interactions of biotic and abiotic factors at the terrestrial-aquatic interface on a global scale are not well understood, and the influence of underground events on microbial communities remains unknown. The study found moderate correlations between pH, SO42-, and the abundance of certain microbial phyla. pH and SO42- gradients were explained by phase separation and oxidation of sulfur in the steam phase. However, a large portion of the variance in microbial community structure remains unexplained, suggesting the involvement of other environmental or biotic factors.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)