Microbial survival strategies in ancient permafrost: insights from metagenomics
Abstract In permafrost (perennially frozen ground) microbes survive oligotrophic conditions, sub-zero temperatures, low water availability and high salinity over millennia. Viable life exists in permafrost tens of thousands of years old but we know little about the metabolic and physiological adapta...
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croxfordunivpr:10.1038/ismej.2017.93 2024-06-23T07:56:05+00:00 Microbial survival strategies in ancient permafrost: insights from metagenomics Mackelprang, Rachel Burkert, Alexander Haw, Monica Mahendrarajah, Tara Conaway, Christopher H Douglas, Thomas A Waldrop, Mark P 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2017.93 http://www.nature.com/articles/ismej201793.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/ismej201793 https://academic.oup.com/ismej/article-pdf/11/10/2305/56140392/41396_2017_article_bfismej201793.pdf en eng Oxford University Press (OUP) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 The ISME Journal volume 11, issue 10, page 2305-2318 ISSN 1751-7362 1751-7370 journal-article 2017 croxfordunivpr https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2017.93 2024-06-11T04:16:00Z Abstract In permafrost (perennially frozen ground) microbes survive oligotrophic conditions, sub-zero temperatures, low water availability and high salinity over millennia. Viable life exists in permafrost tens of thousands of years old but we know little about the metabolic and physiological adaptations to the challenges presented by life in frozen ground over geologic time. In this study we asked whether increasing age and the associated stressors drive adaptive changes in community composition and function. We conducted deep metagenomic and 16 S rRNA gene sequencing across a Pleistocene permafrost chronosequence from 19 000 to 33 000 years before present (kyr). We found that age markedly affected community composition and reduced diversity. Reconstruction of paleovegetation from metagenomic sequence suggests vegetation differences in the paleo record are not responsible for shifts in community composition and function. Rather, we observed shifts consistent with long-term survival strategies in extreme cryogenic environments. These include increased reliance on scavenging detrital biomass, horizontal gene transfer, chemotaxis, dormancy, environmental sensing and stress response. Our results identify traits that may enable survival in ancient cryoenvironments with no influx of energy or new materials. Article in Journal/Newspaper permafrost Oxford University Press The ISME Journal 11 10 2305 2318 |
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Oxford University Press |
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croxfordunivpr |
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English |
description |
Abstract In permafrost (perennially frozen ground) microbes survive oligotrophic conditions, sub-zero temperatures, low water availability and high salinity over millennia. Viable life exists in permafrost tens of thousands of years old but we know little about the metabolic and physiological adaptations to the challenges presented by life in frozen ground over geologic time. In this study we asked whether increasing age and the associated stressors drive adaptive changes in community composition and function. We conducted deep metagenomic and 16 S rRNA gene sequencing across a Pleistocene permafrost chronosequence from 19 000 to 33 000 years before present (kyr). We found that age markedly affected community composition and reduced diversity. Reconstruction of paleovegetation from metagenomic sequence suggests vegetation differences in the paleo record are not responsible for shifts in community composition and function. Rather, we observed shifts consistent with long-term survival strategies in extreme cryogenic environments. These include increased reliance on scavenging detrital biomass, horizontal gene transfer, chemotaxis, dormancy, environmental sensing and stress response. Our results identify traits that may enable survival in ancient cryoenvironments with no influx of energy or new materials. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mackelprang, Rachel Burkert, Alexander Haw, Monica Mahendrarajah, Tara Conaway, Christopher H Douglas, Thomas A Waldrop, Mark P |
spellingShingle |
Mackelprang, Rachel Burkert, Alexander Haw, Monica Mahendrarajah, Tara Conaway, Christopher H Douglas, Thomas A Waldrop, Mark P Microbial survival strategies in ancient permafrost: insights from metagenomics |
author_facet |
Mackelprang, Rachel Burkert, Alexander Haw, Monica Mahendrarajah, Tara Conaway, Christopher H Douglas, Thomas A Waldrop, Mark P |
author_sort |
Mackelprang, Rachel |
title |
Microbial survival strategies in ancient permafrost: insights from metagenomics |
title_short |
Microbial survival strategies in ancient permafrost: insights from metagenomics |
title_full |
Microbial survival strategies in ancient permafrost: insights from metagenomics |
title_fullStr |
Microbial survival strategies in ancient permafrost: insights from metagenomics |
title_full_unstemmed |
Microbial survival strategies in ancient permafrost: insights from metagenomics |
title_sort |
microbial survival strategies in ancient permafrost: insights from metagenomics |
publisher |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2017.93 http://www.nature.com/articles/ismej201793.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/ismej201793 https://academic.oup.com/ismej/article-pdf/11/10/2305/56140392/41396_2017_article_bfismej201793.pdf |
genre |
permafrost |
genre_facet |
permafrost |
op_source |
The ISME Journal volume 11, issue 10, page 2305-2318 ISSN 1751-7362 1751-7370 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2017.93 |
container_title |
The ISME Journal |
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11 |
container_issue |
10 |
container_start_page |
2305 |
op_container_end_page |
2318 |
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1802648950176481280 |