Polar Microalgae: New Approaches towards Understanding Adaptations to an Extreme and Changing Environment
Polar Regions are unique and highly prolific ecosystems characterized by extreme environmental gradients. Photosynthetic autotrophs, the base of the food web, have had to adapt physiological mechanisms to maintain growth, reproduction and metabolic activity despite environmental conditions that woul...
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ftuniveastangl:oai:ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk:53354 2023-06-06T11:59:10+02:00 Polar Microalgae: New Approaches towards Understanding Adaptations to an Extreme and Changing Environment Lyon, Barbara Mock, Thomas 2014-01-28 application/pdf https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/53354/ https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/53354/1/biology_03_00056.pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/biology3010056 en eng https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/53354/1/biology_03_00056.pdf Lyon, Barbara and Mock, Thomas (2014) Polar Microalgae: New Approaches towards Understanding Adaptations to an Extreme and Changing Environment. RNA Biology, 3 (1). pp. 56-80. ISSN 1547-6286 doi:10.3390/biology3010056 Article PeerReviewed 2014 ftuniveastangl https://doi.org/10.3390/biology3010056 2023-04-13T22:31:48Z Polar Regions are unique and highly prolific ecosystems characterized by extreme environmental gradients. Photosynthetic autotrophs, the base of the food web, have had to adapt physiological mechanisms to maintain growth, reproduction and metabolic activity despite environmental conditions that would shut-down cellular processes in most organisms. High latitudes are characterized by temperatures below the freezing point, complete darkness in winter and continuous light and high UV in the summer. Additionally, sea-ice, an ecological niche exploited by microbes during the long winter seasons when the ocean and land freezes over, is characterized by large salinity fluctuations, limited gas exchange, and highly oxic conditions. The last decade has been an exciting period of insights into the molecular mechanisms behind adaptation of microalgae to the cryosphere facilitated by the advancement of new scientific tools, particularly “omics” techniques. We review recent insights derived from genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics studies. Genes, proteins and pathways identified from these highly adaptable polar microbes have far-reaching biotechnological applications. Furthermore, they may provide insights into life outside this planet, as well as glimpses into the past. High latitude regions also have disproportionately large inputs into global biogeochemical cycles and are the region most sensitive to climate change. Article in Journal/Newspaper Sea ice University of East Anglia: UEA Digital Repository Biology 3 1 56 80 |
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Open Polar |
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University of East Anglia: UEA Digital Repository |
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ftuniveastangl |
language |
English |
description |
Polar Regions are unique and highly prolific ecosystems characterized by extreme environmental gradients. Photosynthetic autotrophs, the base of the food web, have had to adapt physiological mechanisms to maintain growth, reproduction and metabolic activity despite environmental conditions that would shut-down cellular processes in most organisms. High latitudes are characterized by temperatures below the freezing point, complete darkness in winter and continuous light and high UV in the summer. Additionally, sea-ice, an ecological niche exploited by microbes during the long winter seasons when the ocean and land freezes over, is characterized by large salinity fluctuations, limited gas exchange, and highly oxic conditions. The last decade has been an exciting period of insights into the molecular mechanisms behind adaptation of microalgae to the cryosphere facilitated by the advancement of new scientific tools, particularly “omics” techniques. We review recent insights derived from genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics studies. Genes, proteins and pathways identified from these highly adaptable polar microbes have far-reaching biotechnological applications. Furthermore, they may provide insights into life outside this planet, as well as glimpses into the past. High latitude regions also have disproportionately large inputs into global biogeochemical cycles and are the region most sensitive to climate change. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lyon, Barbara Mock, Thomas |
spellingShingle |
Lyon, Barbara Mock, Thomas Polar Microalgae: New Approaches towards Understanding Adaptations to an Extreme and Changing Environment |
author_facet |
Lyon, Barbara Mock, Thomas |
author_sort |
Lyon, Barbara |
title |
Polar Microalgae: New Approaches towards Understanding Adaptations to an Extreme and Changing Environment |
title_short |
Polar Microalgae: New Approaches towards Understanding Adaptations to an Extreme and Changing Environment |
title_full |
Polar Microalgae: New Approaches towards Understanding Adaptations to an Extreme and Changing Environment |
title_fullStr |
Polar Microalgae: New Approaches towards Understanding Adaptations to an Extreme and Changing Environment |
title_full_unstemmed |
Polar Microalgae: New Approaches towards Understanding Adaptations to an Extreme and Changing Environment |
title_sort |
polar microalgae: new approaches towards understanding adaptations to an extreme and changing environment |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/53354/ https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/53354/1/biology_03_00056.pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/biology3010056 |
genre |
Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Sea ice |
op_relation |
https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/53354/1/biology_03_00056.pdf Lyon, Barbara and Mock, Thomas (2014) Polar Microalgae: New Approaches towards Understanding Adaptations to an Extreme and Changing Environment. RNA Biology, 3 (1). pp. 56-80. ISSN 1547-6286 doi:10.3390/biology3010056 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/biology3010056 |
container_title |
Biology |
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3 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
56 |
op_container_end_page |
80 |
_version_ |
1767948893512794112 |