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Moore RA, Azua-Bustos A, González-Silva C, Carr CE. Author Correction: Unveiling metabolic pathways involved in the extreme desiccation tolerance of an Atacama cyanobacterium. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17677. [PMID: 37848508 PMCID: PMC10582095 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44829-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Moore
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 275 Ferst Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
| | - Armando Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Christopher E Carr
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 275 Ferst Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
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2
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Moore RA, Azua-Bustos A, González-Silva C, Carr CE. Unveiling metabolic pathways involved in the extreme desiccation tolerance of an Atacama cyanobacterium. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15767. [PMID: 37737281 PMCID: PMC10516996 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41879-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Gloeocapsopsis dulcis strain AAB1 is an extremely xerotolerant cyanobacterium isolated from the Atacama Desert (i.e., the driest and oldest desert on Earth) that holds astrobiological significance due to its ability to biosynthesize compatible solutes at ultra-low water activities. We sequenced and assembled the G. dulcis genome de novo using a combination of long- and short-read sequencing, which resulted in high-quality consensus sequences of the chromosome and two plasmids. We leveraged the G. dulcis genome to generate a genome-scale metabolic model (iGd895) to simulate growth in silico. iGd895 represents, to our knowledge, the first genome-scale metabolic reconstruction developed for an extremely xerotolerant cyanobacterium. The model's predictive capability was assessed by comparing the in silico growth rate with in vitro growth rates of G. dulcis, in addition to the synthesis of trehalose. iGd895 allowed us to explore simulations of key metabolic processes such as essential pathways for water-stress tolerance, and significant alterations to reaction flux distribution and metabolic network reorganization resulting from water limitation. Our study provides insights into the potential metabolic strategies employed by G. dulcis, emphasizing the crucial roles of compatible solutes, metabolic water, energy conservation, and the precise regulation of reaction rates in their adaptation to water stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Moore
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 275 Ferst Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
| | - Armando Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Christopher E Carr
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 275 Ferst Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
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3
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Azua-Bustos A, Fairén AG, González-Silva C, Prieto-Ballesteros O, Carrizo D, Sánchez-García L, Parro V, Fernández-Martínez MÁ, Escudero C, Muñoz-Iglesias V, Fernández-Sampedro M, Molina A, Villadangos MG, Moreno-Paz M, Wierzchos J, Ascaso C, Fornaro T, Brucato JR, Poggiali G, Manrique JA, Veneranda M, López-Reyes G, Sanz-Arranz A, Rull F, Ollila AM, Wiens RC, Reyes-Newell A, Clegg SM, Millan M, Johnson SS, McIntosh O, Szopa C, Freissinet C, Sekine Y, Fukushi K, Morida K, Inoue K, Sakuma H, Rampe E. Dark microbiome and extremely low organics in Atacama fossil delta unveil Mars life detection limits. Nat Commun 2023; 14:808. [PMID: 36810853 PMCID: PMC9944251 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36172-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying unequivocal signs of life on Mars is one of the most important objectives for sending missions to the red planet. Here we report Red Stone, a 163-100 My alluvial fan-fan delta that formed under arid conditions in the Atacama Desert, rich in hematite and mudstones containing clays such as vermiculite and smectites, and therefore geologically analogous to Mars. We show that Red Stone samples display an important number of microorganisms with an unusual high rate of phylogenetic indeterminacy, what we refer to as "dark microbiome", and a mix of biosignatures from extant and ancient microorganisms that can be barely detected with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. Our analyses by testbed instruments that are on or will be sent to Mars unveil that although the mineralogy of Red Stone matches that detected by ground-based instruments on the red planet, similarly low levels of organics will be hard, if not impossible to detect in Martian rocks depending on the instrument and technique used. Our results stress the importance in returning samples to Earth for conclusively addressing whether life ever existed on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain. .,Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Alberto G Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Daniel Carrizo
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Victor Parro
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Antonio Molina
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Jacek Wierzchos
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Ascaso
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa Fornaro
- INAF-Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri, Florence, Italy
| | | | | | - Jose Antonio Manrique
- Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.,Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), Toulouse, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Ann M Ollila
- Purdue University, Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, West Lafayette, USA
| | - Roger C Wiens
- Purdue University, Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, West Lafayette, USA
| | | | - Samuel M Clegg
- Purdue University, Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, West Lafayette, USA
| | - Maëva Millan
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA.,NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Solar System Exploration Division, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA.,LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 11 Bd d'Alembert, 78280, Guyancourt, France
| | - Sarah Stewart Johnson
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA.,Science, Technology, and International Affairs Program, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Ophélie McIntosh
- INAF-Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri, Florence, Italy.,Science, Technology, and International Affairs Program, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Cyril Szopa
- Science, Technology, and International Affairs Program, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Caroline Freissinet
- Science, Technology, and International Affairs Program, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Yasuhito Sekine
- Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.,Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Keisuke Fukushi
- Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Koki Morida
- Division of Natural System, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Kosuke Inoue
- Division of Natural System, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sakuma
- National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Elizabeth Rampe
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
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4
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Jung P, Azua-Bustos A, Gonzalez-Silva C, Mikhailyuk T, Zabicki D, Holzinger A, Lakatos M, Büdel B. Emendation of the Coccoid Cyanobacterial Genus Gloeocapsopsis and Description of the New Species Gloeocapsopsis diffluens sp. nov. and Gloeocapsopsis dulcis sp. nov. Isolated From the Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert (Chile). Front Microbiol 2021; 12:671742. [PMID: 34305839 PMCID: PMC8295473 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.671742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The taxonomy of coccoid cyanobacteria, such as Chroococcidiopsis, Pleurocapsa, Chroococcus, Gloeothece, Gloeocapsa, Gloeocapsopsis, and the related recent genera Sinocapsa and Aliterella, can easily be intermixed when solely compared on a morphological basis. There is still little support on the taxonomic position of some of the addressed genera, as genetic information is available only for a fraction of species that have been described solely on morphology. Modern polyphasic approaches that combine classic morphological investigations with DNA-based molecular analyses and the evaluation of ecological properties can disentangle these easily confusable unicellular genera. By using such an approach, we present here the formal description of two novel unicellular cyanobacterial species that inhabit the Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert, Gloeocapsopsis dulcis (first reported as Gloeocapsopsis AAB1) and Gloeocapsopsis diffluens. Both species could be clearly separated from previously reported species by 16S rRNA and 16S–23S ITS gene sequencing, the resulting secondary structures, p-distance analyses of the 16S–23S ITS, and morphology. For avoiding further confusions emendation of the genus Gloeocapsopsis as well as epitypification of the type species Gloeocapsopsis crepidinum based on the strain LEGE06123 were conducted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Jung
- University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, Pirmasens, Germany
| | - Armando Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Tatiana Mikhailyuk
- M. G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Daniel Zabicki
- University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, Pirmasens, Germany
| | | | - Michael Lakatos
- University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, Pirmasens, Germany
| | - Burkhard Büdel
- Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
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5
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Azua-Bustos A, Fairén AG, Silva CG, Carrizo D, Fernández-Martínez MÁ, Arenas-Fajardo C, Fernández-Sampedro M, Gil-Lozano C, Sánchez-García L, Ascaso C, Wierzchos J, Rampe EB. Inhabited subsurface wet smectites in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert as an analog for the search for life on Mars. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19183. [PMID: 33154541 PMCID: PMC7645800 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76302-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The modern Martian surface is unlikely to be habitable due to its extreme aridity among other environmental factors. This is the reason why the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert has been studied as an analog for the habitability of Mars for more than 50 years. Here we report a layer enriched in smectites located just 30 cm below the surface of the hyperarid core of the Atacama. We discovered the clay-rich layer to be wet (a phenomenon never observed before in this region), keeping a high and constant relative humidity of 78% (aw 0.780), and completely isolated from the changing and extremely dry subaerial conditions characteristic of the Atacama. The smectite-rich layer is inhabited by at least 30 halophilic species of metabolically active bacteria and archaea, unveiling a previously unreported habitat for microbial life under the surface of the driest place on Earth. The discovery of a diverse microbial community in smectite-rich subsurface layers in the hyperarid core of the Atacama, and the collection of biosignatures we have identified within the clays, suggest that similar shallow clay deposits on Mars may contain biosignatures easily reachable by current rovers and landers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Alberto G Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | | | - Daniel Carrizo
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Carolina Gil-Lozano
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain
- Laboratory of Planetology and Geodynamics, Université de Nantes, 44322, Nantes, France
| | | | - Carmen Ascaso
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jacek Wierzchos
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elizabeth B Rampe
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
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6
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Seyler L, Kujawinski EB, Azua-Bustos A, Lee MD, Marlow J, Perl SM, Cleaves II HJ. Metabolomics as an Emerging Tool in the Search for Astrobiologically Relevant Biomarkers. Astrobiology 2020; 20:1251-1261. [PMID: 32551936 PMCID: PMC7116171 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
It is now routinely possible to sequence and recover microbial genomes from environmental samples. To the degree it is feasible to assign transcriptional and translational functions to these genomes, it should be possible, in principle, to largely understand the complete molecular inputs and outputs of a microbial community. However, gene-based tools alone are presently insufficient to describe the full suite of chemical reactions and small molecules that compose a living cell. Metabolomic tools have developed quickly and now enable rapid detection and identification of small molecules within biological and environmental samples. The convergence of these technologies will soon facilitate the detection of novel enzymatic activities, novel organisms, and potentially extraterrestrial life-forms on solar system bodies. This review explores the methodological problems and scientific opportunities facing researchers who hope to apply metabolomic methods in astrobiology-related fields, and how present challenges might be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Seyler
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Address correspondence to: Lauren Seyler, Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 86 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Elizabeth B. Kujawinski
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Armando Azua-Bustos
- Department of Planetology and Habitability, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Michael D. Lee
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - Jeffrey Marlow
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Scott M. Perl
- Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology/NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, USA
- Mineral Sciences, Los Angeles Natural History Museum, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Henderson James Cleaves II
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
- School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- Geographical Research Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington
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7
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Garcia-Descalzo L, Gil-Lozano C, Muñoz-Iglesias V, Prieto-Ballesteros O, Azua-Bustos A, Fairén AG. Can Halophilic and Psychrophilic Microorganisms Modify the Freezing/Melting Curve of Cold Salty Solutions? Implications for Mars Habitability. Astrobiology 2020; 20:1067-1075. [PMID: 32833498 PMCID: PMC7116095 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We present the hypothesis that microorganisms can change the freezing/melting curve of cold salty solutions by protein expression, as it is known that proteins can affect the liquid-to-ice transition, an ability that could be of ecological advantage for organisms on Earth and on Mars. We tested our hypothesis by identifying a suitable candidate, the well-known psycrophile and halotolerant bacteria Rhodococcus sp. JG3, and analyzing its response in culture conditions that included specific hygroscopic salts relevant to Mars-that is, highly concentrated magnesium perchlorate solutions of 20 wt % and 50 wt % Mg(ClO4)2 at both end members of the eutectic concentration (44 wt %)-and subfreezing temperatures (263 K and 253 K). Using a combination of techniques of molecular microbiology and aqueous geochemistry, we evaluated the potential roles of proteins over- or underexpressed as important players in different mechanisms for the adaptability of life to cold environments. We recorded the changes observed by micro-differential scanning calorimetry. Unfortunately, Rhodococcus sp. JG3 did not show our hypothesized effect on the melting characteristics of cold Mg-perchlorate solutions. However, the question remains as to whether our novel hypothesis that halophilic/psychrophilic bacteria or archaea can alter the freezing/melting curve of salt solutions could be validated. The null result obtained after analyzing just one case lays the foundation to continue the search for proteins produced by microorganisms that thrive in very cold, high-saline solutions, which would involve testing different microorganisms with different salt components. The immediate implications for the habitability of Mars are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carolina Gil-Lozano
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geociencias Marinas, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | | | | | - Armando Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alberto G. Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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8
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Muggia L, Zalar P, Azua-Bustos A, González-Silva C, Grube M, Gunde-Cimerman N. The beauty and the yeast: can the microalgae Dunaliella form a borderline lichen with Hortaea werneckii? Symbiosis 2020; 82:123-131. [PMID: 33536700 PMCID: PMC7116670 DOI: 10.1007/s13199-020-00697-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Lichenized fungi usually develop complex, stratified morphologies through an intricately balanced living together with their algal partners, but several species are known to form only more or less loose associations with algae. These borderline lichens are still little explored although they could inform us about early stages of lichen evolution. We studied the association of the extremely halotolerant fungus Hortaea werneckii with the alga Dunaliella atacamensis, discovered in a cave in the Atacama Desert (Chile), and with D. salina, common inhabitant of saltern brines. D. atacamensis forms small colonies, in which cells of H. werneckii can be frequently observed, while such interaction has not been observed with D. salina. As symbiotic interactions between Dunaliella and Hortaea have not been reported, we performed a series of co-cultivation experiments to inspect whether these species could interact and develop more distinct lichen-like symbiotic structures. We set up co-cultures between axenic strains of Hortaea werneckii (isolated both from Mediterranean salterns and from the Atacama cave) and isolates of D. atacamensis (from the Atacama cave) and D. salina (isolated from Mediterranean salterns). Although we used different growth media and cultivation approaches, bright field and SEM microscopy analyses did not indicate any mutual effects in these experiments. We discuss the implications for fungal algal interactions along the transition from algal exploiters to lichen symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Muggia
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, via Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Polona Zalar
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večnapot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Armando Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850 Madrid, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain.,Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, 8910060 Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Martin Grube
- University of Graz, Institute of Biology, Holteigasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Nina Gunde-Cimerman
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večnapot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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9
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Azua-Bustos A, González-Silva C, Fernández-Martínez MÁ, Arenas-Fajardo C, Fonseca R, Martín-Torres FJ, Fernández-Sampedro M, Fairén AG, Zorzano MP. Aeolian transport of viable microbial life across the Atacama Desert, Chile: Implications for Mars. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11024. [PMID: 31439858 PMCID: PMC6706390 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47394-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we inspect whether microbial life may disperse using dust transported by wind in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, a well-known Mars analog model. By setting a simple experiment across the hyperarid core of the Atacama we found that a number of viable bacteria and fungi are in fact able to traverse the driest and most UV irradiated desert on Earth unscathed using wind-transported dust, particularly in the later afternoon hours. This finding suggests that microbial life on Mars, extant or past, may have similarly benefited from aeolian transport to move across the planet and find suitable habitats to thrive and evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain. .,Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | | | | | | | - Ricardo Fonseca
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
| | - F Javier Martín-Torres
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden.,Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (UGR-CSIC), Armilla, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Alberto G Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, NY, USA
| | - María-Paz Zorzano
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain.,Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
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10
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Zalar P, Zupančič J, Gostinčar C, Zajc J, de Hoog GS, De Leo F, Azua-Bustos A, Gunde-Cimerman N. The extremely halotolerant black yeast Hortaea werneckii - a model for intraspecific hybridization in clonal fungi. IMA Fungus 2019; 10:10. [PMID: 32647617 PMCID: PMC7325687 DOI: 10.1186/s43008-019-0007-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The polymorphic black yeast Hortaea werneckii (Capnodiales, Ascomycota) is extremely halotolerant (growth from 0 to 30% [w/v] NaCl) and has been extensively studied as a model for halotolerance in Eukaryotes for over two decades. Its most frequent sources are hypersaline environments and adjacent sea-water habitats in temperate, subtropical and tropical climates. Although typically saprobic, H. werneckii can also act as a commensal coloniser on human skin, causing tinea nigra on hands and soles. Here, we report that addition of NaCl to culture media expands the growth range of H. werneckii to 37 °C, which explains its colonisation of human skin, with its increased salinity. The morphological and physiological plasticity/ versatility of H. werneckii indicate that a species complex might be involved. This was investigated in this polyphasic taxonomic analysis based on the global diversity of H. werneckii strains collected from hypersaline environments, and from humans and animals. Analysis of D1/D2domains of 28S and internal transcribed spacer rDNA revealed 10 and 17 genotypes, respectively, that were not always compliant. The genotypes have global distributions. Human and environmental strains with the same genotypes are intermingled. Due to the limited number of phylogenetically informative characters in the ribosomal DNA dataset, the partial genes encoding for β-tubulin (BTB) and mini-chromosome maintenance protein (MCM7) were also sequenced. The use of these genes was hampered by ambiguous sequences obtained by Sanger sequencing, as a consequence of the diploid and highly heterozygous genome of many H. werneckii strains. Analysis of the BTB and MCM7 genes showed that in some cases two copies of the gene from the same genome are positioned in distant phylogenetic clusters of the intraspecific gene tree. Analysis of whole-genome sequences of selected H. werneckii strains generally confirmed the phylogenetic distances estimated on the basis of ribosomal genes, but also showed substantial reticulation within the phylogenetic history of the strains. This is in line with the hypothesis that the diploid genomes of H. werneckii were formed by hybridizations, which have sometimes occurred between relatively divergent strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polona Zalar
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jerneja Zupančič
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Cene Gostinčar
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Lars Bolund Institute of Regenerative Medicine, BGI-Qingdao, Qingdao, 266555 China
| | - Janja Zajc
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - G. Sybren de Hoog
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 85167, Utrecht, 3508 AD The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology of RadboudUMC, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Filomena De Leo
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (ChiBioFarAm), University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres, 31 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Armando Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, 8910060 Santiago, Chile
| | - Nina Gunde-Cimerman
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Azua-Bustos A, Fairén AG, González-Silva C, Ascaso C, Carrizo D, Fernández-Martínez MÁ, Fernández-Sampedro M, García-Descalzo L, García-Villadangos M, Martin-Redondo MP, Sánchez-García L, Wierzchos J, Parro V. Unprecedented rains decimate surface microbial communities in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16706. [PMID: 30420604 PMCID: PMC6232106 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35051-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert, the driest and oldest desert on Earth, has experienced a number of highly unusual rain events over the past three years, resulting in the formation of previously unrecorded hypersaline lagoons, which have lasted several months. We have systematically analyzed the evolution of the lagoons to provide quantitative field constraints of large-scale impacts of the rains on the local microbial communities. Here we show that the sudden and massive input of water in regions that have remained hyperarid for millions of years is harmful for most of the surface soil microbial species, which are exquisitely adapted to survive with meager amounts of liquid water, and quickly perish from osmotic shock when water becomes suddenly abundant. We found that only a handful of bacteria, remarkably a newly identified species of Halomonas, remain metabolically active and are still able to reproduce in the lagoons, while no archaea or eukaryotes were identified. Our results show that the already low microbial biodiversity of extreme arid regions greatly diminishes when water is supplied quickly and in great volumes. We conclude placing our findings in the context of the astrobiological exploration of Mars, a hyperarid planet that experienced catastrophic floodings in ancient times.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain. .,Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | - A G Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain. .,Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, NY, USA.
| | | | - C Ascaso
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - D Carrizo
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - J Wierzchos
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - V Parro
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain
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12
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Azua-Bustos A, González-Silva C, Corsini G. The Hyperarid Core of the Atacama Desert, an Extremely Dry and Carbon Deprived Habitat of Potential Interest for the Field of Carbon Science. Front Microbiol 2017. [PMID: 28642741 PMCID: PMC5463503 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Atacama Desert in Chile is the driest and oldest desert on Earth, also considered one of the best Mars analog models. Here, several heterotrophic microbial communities have been discovered in its driest regions, with the ones present in the soil subsurface being one of the most interesting due to its existence in a habitat with almost no water available and almost undetectable organic carbon sources. Our recent discovery of the driest site of the Atacama known to date (and the heterotrophic microbial species that are able to survive in this site) reaffirms the opportunity to better characterize the physiological and molecular mechanisms that these species use to detect, mobilize, incorporate and use carbon under these extremely harsh conditions. Here we summarize what has been reported up to date on the organic carbon concentrations in different sites of the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert, proposing that due to the meager amounts of carbon and extremely dry conditions, the microbial communities of the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert may be of interest for the field of carbon science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Astrobiología (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial)Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | | | - Gino Corsini
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de ChileSantiago, Chile
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Paulino-Lima IG, Fujishima K, Navarrete JU, Galante D, Rodrigues F, Azua-Bustos A, Rothschild LJ. Extremely high UV-C radiation resistant microorganisms from desert environments with different manganese concentrations. J Photochem Photobiol B 2016; 163:327-36. [PMID: 27614243 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2016.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Desiccation resistance and a high intracellular Mn/Fe ratio contribute to ionizing radiation resistance of Deinococcus radiodurans. We hypothesized that this was a general phenomenon and thus developed a strategy to search for highly radiation-resistant organisms based on their natural environment. While desiccation is a typical feature of deserts, the correlation between radiation resistance and the intracellular Mn/Fe ratio of indigenous microorganisms or the Mn/Fe ratio of the environment, has not yet been described. UV-C radiation is highly damaging to biomolecules including DNA. It was used in this study as a selective tool because of its relevance to early life on earth, high altitude aerobiology and the search for life beyond Earth. Surface soil samples were collected from the Sonoran Desert, Arizona (USA), from the Atacama Desert in Chile and from a manganese mine in northern Argentina. Microbial isolates were selected after exposure to UV-C irradiation and growth. The isolates comprised 28 genera grouped within six phyla, which we ranked according to their resistance to UV-C irradiation. Survival curves were performed for the most resistant isolates and correlated with their intracellular Mn/Fe ratio, which was determined by ICP-MS. Five percent of the isolates were highly resistant, including one more resistant than D. radiodurans, a bacterium generally considered the most radiation-resistant organism, thus used as a model for radiation resistance studies. No correlation was observed between the occurrence of resistant microorganisms and the Mn/Fe ratio in the soil samples. However, all resistant isolates showed an intracellular Mn/Fe ratio much higher than the sensitive isolates. Our findings could represent a new front in efforts to harness mechanisms of UV-C radiation resistance from extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kosuke Fujishima
- University Affiliated Research Center, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, 94035-0001, USA
| | - Jesica Urbina Navarrete
- University Affiliated Research Center, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, 94035-0001, USA
| | - Douglas Galante
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Campinas, 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Fabio Rodrigues
- Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Armando Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica, UniversidadAutónoma de Chile, Santiago, 8910060, Chile
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Azua-Bustos A, Caro-Lara L, Vicuña R. Discovery and microbial content of the driest site of the hyperarid Atacama Desert, Chile. Environ Microbiol Rep 2015; 7:388-94. [PMID: 25545388 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2014] [Revised: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The Atacama Desert is the driest and oldest desert on Earth. Eleven years ago, the Yungay region was established as the driest site of this hyperarid desert and also close to the dry limit for life on Earth. Since then, much has been published about the extraordinary characteristics of this site and its pertinence as a Mars analogue model. However, as a result of a more systematic search in the Atacama here, we describe a new site, María Elena South (MES), which is much drier than Yungay. The mean atmospheric relative humidity (RH) at MES was 17.3%, with the RH of its soils remaining at a constant 14% at the depth of 1 m, a value that matches the lowest RH measurements taken by the Mars Science Laboratory at Gale Crater. Remarkably, we found a number of viable bacterial species in the soil profile at MES using a combination of molecular dependent and independent methods, unveiling the presence of life in the driest place on the Atacama Desert reported to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Azua-Bustos
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Rafael Vicuña
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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15
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Paulino-Lima IG, Azua-Bustos A, Vicuña R, González-Silva C, Salas L, Teixeira L, Rosado A, Leitao AADC, Lage C. Isolation of UVC-tolerant bacteria from the hyperarid Atacama Desert, Chile. Microb Ecol 2013; 65:325-335. [PMID: 23001596 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-012-0121-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2012] [Accepted: 08/29/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Martian surface microbial inhabitants would be challenged by a constant and unimpeded flux of UV radiation, and the study of analog model terrestrial environments may be of help to understand how such life forms could survive under this stressful condition. One of these environments is the Atacama Desert (Chile), a well-known Mars analog due to its extreme dryness and intense solar UV radiation. Here, we report the microbial diversity at five locations across this desert and the isolation of UVC-tolerant microbial strains found in these sites. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rDNA sequences obtained from these sites showed banding patterns that suggest distinct and complex microbial communities. Analysis of 16S rDNA sequences obtained from UV-tolerant strains isolated from these sites revealed species related to the Bacillus and Pseudomonas genera. Vegetative cells of one of these isolates, Bacillus S3.300-2, showed the highest UV tolerance profile (LD(10) = 318 J m(2)), tenfold higher than a wild-type strain of Escherichia coli. Thus, our results show that the Atacama Desert harbors a noteworthy microbial community that may be considered for future astrobiological-related research in terms of UV tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Gláucio Paulino-Lima
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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16
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Azua-Bustos A, González-Silva C, Arenas-Fajardo C, Vicuña R. Extreme environments as potential drivers of convergent evolution by exaptation: the Atacama Desert Coastal Range case. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:426. [PMID: 23267354 PMCID: PMC3526103 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2012] [Accepted: 12/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We have recently discovered a variety of unrelated phototrophic microorganisms (two microalgae and one cyanobacteria) in specialized terrestrial habitats at The Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert. Interestingly, morphological and molecular evidence suggest that these three species are all recent colonists that came from aquatic habitats. The first case is Cyanidiales inhabiting coastal caves. Cyanidiales are microalgae that are commonly found in warm acid springs, but have also been recently discovered as cave flora in Italy. The case is Dunaliella biofilms colonizing spider webs in coastal caves; Dunaliella are microalgae typically found in hypersaline habitats. The third case is Chroococcidiopsis, a genus of Cyanobacteria commonly found in deserts around the world that has also been described in warm springs. Thus, we show that the traits found in the closest ancestors of the aforementioned species (which inhabited other unrelated extreme environments) seem to be now useful for the described species in their current subaerial habitats and may likely correspond to cases of exaptations. Altogether, the Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert may be considered as a place where key steps on the colonization of land by phototrophic organisms seem to be being repeated by convergent evolution of extant microalgae and Cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Azua-Bustos
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | | | - Cristián Arenas-Fajardo
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Rafael Vicuña
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiago, Chile
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Azua-Bustos A, Urrejola C, Vicuña R. Life at the dry edge: microorganisms of the Atacama Desert. FEBS Lett 2012; 586:2939-45. [PMID: 22819826 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2012.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2012] [Revised: 07/10/2012] [Accepted: 07/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The Atacama Desert, located in northern Chile, is the driest and oldest desert on Earth. Research aimed at the understanding of this unique habitat and its diverse microbial ecosystems begun only a few decades ago, mainly driven by NASA's astrobiology program. A milestone in these efforts was a paper published in 2003, when the Atacama was shown to be a proper model of Mars. From then on, studies have been focused to examine every possible niche suitable for microbial life in this extreme environment. Habitats as different as the underside of quartz rocks, fumaroles at the Andes Mountains, the inside of halite evaporates and caves of the Coastal Range, among others, have shown that life has found ingenious ways to adapt to extreme conditions such as low water availability, high salt concentration and intense UV radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Azua-Bustos
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
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