Survivability of anhydrobiotic cyanobacteria in salty ice: implications for the habitability of icy worlds
Two anhydrobiotic strains of the cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis, namely CCMEE 029 and CCMEE 171, isolated from the Negev Desert in Israel and from the Dry Valleys in Antarctica, were exposed to salty-ice simulations. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the cyanobacterial capability to sur...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11590/360424 https://doi.org/10.3390/life9040086 https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/9/4/86/pdf |
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ftunivroma3iris:oai:iris.uniroma3.it:11590/360424 2024-02-11T09:57:57+01:00 Survivability of anhydrobiotic cyanobacteria in salty ice: implications for the habitability of icy worlds Cosciotti B. Balbi A. Ceccarelli A. Fagliarone C. Mattei E. Lauro S. E. Di Paolo F. Pettinelli E. Billi D. Cosciotti, B. Balbi, A. Ceccarelli, A. Fagliarone, C. Mattei, E. Lauro, S. E. Di Paolo, F. Pettinelli, E. Billi, D. 2019 http://hdl.handle.net/11590/360424 https://doi.org/10.3390/life9040086 https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/9/4/86/pdf eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000505571000004 volume:9 issue:4 firstpage:86 journal:LIFE http://hdl.handle.net/11590/360424 doi:10.3390/life9040086 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-85077394269 https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/9/4/86/pdf Desert cyanobacteria Europa Habitability Ice crystal Icy moon Laboratory simulation Liquid vein Vitrification info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2019 ftunivroma3iris https://doi.org/10.3390/life9040086 2024-01-24T17:42:19Z Two anhydrobiotic strains of the cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis, namely CCMEE 029 and CCMEE 171, isolated from the Negev Desert in Israel and from the Dry Valleys in Antarctica, were exposed to salty-ice simulations. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the cyanobacterial capability to survive under sub-freezing temperatures in samples simulating the environment of icy worlds. The two strains were mixed with liquid solutions having sub-eutectic concentration of Na2SO4, MgSO4 and NaCl, then frozen down to different final temperatures (258 K, 233 K and 203 K) in various experimental runs. Both strains survived the exposure to 258 K in NaCl solution, probably as they migrated in the liquid veins between ice grain boundaries. However, they also survived at 258 K in Na2SO4 and MgSO4-salty-ice samples—that is, a temperature well below the eutectic temperature of the solutions, where liquid veins should not exist anymore. Moreover, both strains survived the exposure at 233 K in each salty-ice sample, with CCMEE 171 showing an enhanced survivability, whereas there were no survivors at 203 K. The survival limit at low temperature was further extended when both strains were exposed to 193 K as air-dried cells. The results suggest that vitrification might be a strategy for microbial life forms to survive in potentially habitable icy moons, for example in Europa’s icy crust. By entering a dried, frozen state, they could be transported from niches, which became non-habitable to new habitable ones, and possibly return to metabolic activity. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Anagrafe della Ricerca d'Ateneo (Universitá degli studi Roma Tre) Life 9 4 86 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Anagrafe della Ricerca d'Ateneo (Universitá degli studi Roma Tre) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivroma3iris |
language |
English |
topic |
Desert cyanobacteria Europa Habitability Ice crystal Icy moon Laboratory simulation Liquid vein Vitrification |
spellingShingle |
Desert cyanobacteria Europa Habitability Ice crystal Icy moon Laboratory simulation Liquid vein Vitrification Cosciotti B. Balbi A. Ceccarelli A. Fagliarone C. Mattei E. Lauro S. E. Di Paolo F. Pettinelli E. Billi D. Survivability of anhydrobiotic cyanobacteria in salty ice: implications for the habitability of icy worlds |
topic_facet |
Desert cyanobacteria Europa Habitability Ice crystal Icy moon Laboratory simulation Liquid vein Vitrification |
description |
Two anhydrobiotic strains of the cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis, namely CCMEE 029 and CCMEE 171, isolated from the Negev Desert in Israel and from the Dry Valleys in Antarctica, were exposed to salty-ice simulations. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the cyanobacterial capability to survive under sub-freezing temperatures in samples simulating the environment of icy worlds. The two strains were mixed with liquid solutions having sub-eutectic concentration of Na2SO4, MgSO4 and NaCl, then frozen down to different final temperatures (258 K, 233 K and 203 K) in various experimental runs. Both strains survived the exposure to 258 K in NaCl solution, probably as they migrated in the liquid veins between ice grain boundaries. However, they also survived at 258 K in Na2SO4 and MgSO4-salty-ice samples—that is, a temperature well below the eutectic temperature of the solutions, where liquid veins should not exist anymore. Moreover, both strains survived the exposure at 233 K in each salty-ice sample, with CCMEE 171 showing an enhanced survivability, whereas there were no survivors at 203 K. The survival limit at low temperature was further extended when both strains were exposed to 193 K as air-dried cells. The results suggest that vitrification might be a strategy for microbial life forms to survive in potentially habitable icy moons, for example in Europa’s icy crust. By entering a dried, frozen state, they could be transported from niches, which became non-habitable to new habitable ones, and possibly return to metabolic activity. |
author2 |
Cosciotti, B. Balbi, A. Ceccarelli, A. Fagliarone, C. Mattei, E. Lauro, S. E. Di Paolo, F. Pettinelli, E. Billi, D. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Cosciotti B. Balbi A. Ceccarelli A. Fagliarone C. Mattei E. Lauro S. E. Di Paolo F. Pettinelli E. Billi D. |
author_facet |
Cosciotti B. Balbi A. Ceccarelli A. Fagliarone C. Mattei E. Lauro S. E. Di Paolo F. Pettinelli E. Billi D. |
author_sort |
Cosciotti B. |
title |
Survivability of anhydrobiotic cyanobacteria in salty ice: implications for the habitability of icy worlds |
title_short |
Survivability of anhydrobiotic cyanobacteria in salty ice: implications for the habitability of icy worlds |
title_full |
Survivability of anhydrobiotic cyanobacteria in salty ice: implications for the habitability of icy worlds |
title_fullStr |
Survivability of anhydrobiotic cyanobacteria in salty ice: implications for the habitability of icy worlds |
title_full_unstemmed |
Survivability of anhydrobiotic cyanobacteria in salty ice: implications for the habitability of icy worlds |
title_sort |
survivability of anhydrobiotic cyanobacteria in salty ice: implications for the habitability of icy worlds |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11590/360424 https://doi.org/10.3390/life9040086 https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/9/4/86/pdf |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000505571000004 volume:9 issue:4 firstpage:86 journal:LIFE http://hdl.handle.net/11590/360424 doi:10.3390/life9040086 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-85077394269 https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/9/4/86/pdf |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/life9040086 |
container_title |
Life |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
86 |
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1790593487955034112 |