Extremophilic fungi in arctic ice: a relationship between adaptation to low temperature and water activity
Little is known about fungal diversity in extremely cold regions. Low temperatures induce the formation of ice crystals and therefore also the creation of low water activity (a(w)). These are the dominant factors in external chemistry that influence microbial biota in cold regions. Therefore, we hav...
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ftdtupubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/60243b00-283c-418d-8125-6dad526777ac 2024-09-15T17:50:51+00:00 Extremophilic fungi in arctic ice: a relationship between adaptation to low temperature and water activity Gunde-Cimerman, N. Sonjak, S. Zalar, P. Frisvad, Jens Christian Diderichsen, B. Plemenitas, A. 2003 https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/60243b00-283c-418d-8125-6dad526777ac eng eng https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/60243b00-283c-418d-8125-6dad526777ac info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Gunde-Cimerman , N , Sonjak , S , Zalar , P , Frisvad , J C , Diderichsen , B & Plemenitas , A 2003 , ' Extremophilic fungi in arctic ice: a relationship between adaptation to low temperature and water activity ' , Physics and Chemistry of the Earth , vol. 28 , no. 28-32 , pp. 1273-1278 . article 2003 ftdtupubl 2024-08-05T23:48:28Z Little is known about fungal diversity in extremely cold regions. Low temperatures induce the formation of ice crystals and therefore also the creation of low water activity (a(w)). These are the dominant factors in external chemistry that influence microbial biota in cold regions. Therefore, we have used selective low water activity media plus low incubation temperatures for the isolation of fungi from an Arctic environment. In comparison with the highest values of colony forming units (CFU) obtained on mesophilic media, considerably higher fungal CFU per litre of water were detected on low a, media, ranging from 1000 to 3000 l(-1) in seawater, 6000 to 7000 l(-1) in melted sea ice and up to 13,000 l(-1) in melted glacier ice. The dominant taxa were ascomycetous and basidiomycetous yeasts, melanized fungi, mainly represented by the genera Cladosporium and Aureobasidium plus different species of the genus Penicillium. Preliminary taxonomic analyses revealed several new species and varieties. Further characterisations are needed to determine whether this diversity is due to geographic isolation, ecological conditions or independent evolutionary origin. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Sea ice Technical University of Denmark: DTU Orbit |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Technical University of Denmark: DTU Orbit |
op_collection_id |
ftdtupubl |
language |
English |
description |
Little is known about fungal diversity in extremely cold regions. Low temperatures induce the formation of ice crystals and therefore also the creation of low water activity (a(w)). These are the dominant factors in external chemistry that influence microbial biota in cold regions. Therefore, we have used selective low water activity media plus low incubation temperatures for the isolation of fungi from an Arctic environment. In comparison with the highest values of colony forming units (CFU) obtained on mesophilic media, considerably higher fungal CFU per litre of water were detected on low a, media, ranging from 1000 to 3000 l(-1) in seawater, 6000 to 7000 l(-1) in melted sea ice and up to 13,000 l(-1) in melted glacier ice. The dominant taxa were ascomycetous and basidiomycetous yeasts, melanized fungi, mainly represented by the genera Cladosporium and Aureobasidium plus different species of the genus Penicillium. Preliminary taxonomic analyses revealed several new species and varieties. Further characterisations are needed to determine whether this diversity is due to geographic isolation, ecological conditions or independent evolutionary origin. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gunde-Cimerman, N. Sonjak, S. Zalar, P. Frisvad, Jens Christian Diderichsen, B. Plemenitas, A. |
spellingShingle |
Gunde-Cimerman, N. Sonjak, S. Zalar, P. Frisvad, Jens Christian Diderichsen, B. Plemenitas, A. Extremophilic fungi in arctic ice: a relationship between adaptation to low temperature and water activity |
author_facet |
Gunde-Cimerman, N. Sonjak, S. Zalar, P. Frisvad, Jens Christian Diderichsen, B. Plemenitas, A. |
author_sort |
Gunde-Cimerman, N. |
title |
Extremophilic fungi in arctic ice: a relationship between adaptation to low temperature and water activity |
title_short |
Extremophilic fungi in arctic ice: a relationship between adaptation to low temperature and water activity |
title_full |
Extremophilic fungi in arctic ice: a relationship between adaptation to low temperature and water activity |
title_fullStr |
Extremophilic fungi in arctic ice: a relationship between adaptation to low temperature and water activity |
title_full_unstemmed |
Extremophilic fungi in arctic ice: a relationship between adaptation to low temperature and water activity |
title_sort |
extremophilic fungi in arctic ice: a relationship between adaptation to low temperature and water activity |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/60243b00-283c-418d-8125-6dad526777ac |
genre |
Arctic Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Arctic Sea ice |
op_source |
Gunde-Cimerman , N , Sonjak , S , Zalar , P , Frisvad , J C , Diderichsen , B & Plemenitas , A 2003 , ' Extremophilic fungi in arctic ice: a relationship between adaptation to low temperature and water activity ' , Physics and Chemistry of the Earth , vol. 28 , no. 28-32 , pp. 1273-1278 . |
op_relation |
https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/60243b00-283c-418d-8125-6dad526777ac |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
_version_ |
1810292664191418368 |