Microbial colonization of gypsum: from the fossil record to the present day
Microorganisms inhabiting gypsum have been observed in environments that differ greatly in water availability. Gypsum colonized by microorganisms, including cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae, and diverse heterotrophic communities, occurs in hot, arid or even hyperarid environments, in cold environment...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437/full |
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crfrontiers:10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437 2024-09-15T17:45:44+00:00 Microbial colonization of gypsum: from the fossil record to the present day Jehlička, Jan Oren, Aharon Vítek, Petr Wierzchos, Jacek Czech Science Foundation Czech Science Foundation 2024 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437/full unknown Frontiers Media SA https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Frontiers in Microbiology volume 15 ISSN 1664-302X journal-article 2024 crfrontiers https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437 2024-09-03T04:06:13Z Microorganisms inhabiting gypsum have been observed in environments that differ greatly in water availability. Gypsum colonized by microorganisms, including cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae, and diverse heterotrophic communities, occurs in hot, arid or even hyperarid environments, in cold environments of the Antarctic and Arctic zones, and in saline and hypersaline lakes and ponds where gypsum precipitates. Fossilized microbial remnants preserved in gypsum were also reported. Gypsum protects the endolithic microbial communities against excessive insolation and ultraviolet radiation, while allowing photosynthetically active radiation to penetrate through the mineral substrate. We here review the worldwide occurrences of microbially colonized gypsum and the specific properties of gypsum related to its function as a substrate and habitat for microbial life on Earth and possibly beyond. Methods for detecting and characterizing endolithic communities and their biomarkers in gypsum are discussed, including microscopic, spectroscopic, chemical, and molecular biological techniques. The modes of adaptation of different microorganisms to life within gypsum crystals under different environmental conditions are described. Finally, we discuss gypsum deposits as possible targets for the search for microbial life or its remnants beyond Earth, especially on Mars, where sulfate-rich deposits occur, and propose strategies to detect them during space exploration missions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Frontiers (Publisher) Frontiers in Microbiology 15 |
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Microorganisms inhabiting gypsum have been observed in environments that differ greatly in water availability. Gypsum colonized by microorganisms, including cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae, and diverse heterotrophic communities, occurs in hot, arid or even hyperarid environments, in cold environments of the Antarctic and Arctic zones, and in saline and hypersaline lakes and ponds where gypsum precipitates. Fossilized microbial remnants preserved in gypsum were also reported. Gypsum protects the endolithic microbial communities against excessive insolation and ultraviolet radiation, while allowing photosynthetically active radiation to penetrate through the mineral substrate. We here review the worldwide occurrences of microbially colonized gypsum and the specific properties of gypsum related to its function as a substrate and habitat for microbial life on Earth and possibly beyond. Methods for detecting and characterizing endolithic communities and their biomarkers in gypsum are discussed, including microscopic, spectroscopic, chemical, and molecular biological techniques. The modes of adaptation of different microorganisms to life within gypsum crystals under different environmental conditions are described. Finally, we discuss gypsum deposits as possible targets for the search for microbial life or its remnants beyond Earth, especially on Mars, where sulfate-rich deposits occur, and propose strategies to detect them during space exploration missions. |
author2 |
Czech Science Foundation Czech Science Foundation |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jehlička, Jan Oren, Aharon Vítek, Petr Wierzchos, Jacek |
spellingShingle |
Jehlička, Jan Oren, Aharon Vítek, Petr Wierzchos, Jacek Microbial colonization of gypsum: from the fossil record to the present day |
author_facet |
Jehlička, Jan Oren, Aharon Vítek, Petr Wierzchos, Jacek |
author_sort |
Jehlička, Jan |
title |
Microbial colonization of gypsum: from the fossil record to the present day |
title_short |
Microbial colonization of gypsum: from the fossil record to the present day |
title_full |
Microbial colonization of gypsum: from the fossil record to the present day |
title_fullStr |
Microbial colonization of gypsum: from the fossil record to the present day |
title_full_unstemmed |
Microbial colonization of gypsum: from the fossil record to the present day |
title_sort |
microbial colonization of gypsum: from the fossil record to the present day |
publisher |
Frontiers Media SA |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437/full |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_source |
Frontiers in Microbiology volume 15 ISSN 1664-302X |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Microbiology |
container_volume |
15 |
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1810493635947397120 |