Polar Microalgae: New Approaches towards Understanding Adaptations to an Extreme and Changing Environment.
Polar Microalgae: New Approaches towards Understanding Adaptations to an Extreme and Changing Environment.
复制标题
DOI：
10.3390/biology3010056
复制
发表时间：
2014-01-28
期刊：
影响因子：
4.2
通讯作者：
Mock T
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lyon BR;Mock T
极地地区是以极端环境梯度为特征的独特和高度多产的生态系统。光合自养生物是食物网的基础，尽管环境条件会关闭大多数生物的细胞过程，但它们必须适应生理机制来维持生长、繁殖和代谢活动。高纬度地区的特点是温度低于冰点，冬季完全黑暗，夏季持续光照和高紫外线。此外，海冰是微生物在海洋和陆地冻结的漫长冬季利用的生态位，其特点是盐度波动大，气体交换有限，以及高氧条件。过去十年是一个令人兴奋的时期，深入了解微藻适应冰冻圈背后的分子机制，这得益于新科学工具的进步，特别是“组学”技术。我们回顾最近的见解来自基因组学，转录组学和蛋白质组学研究。从这些适应性极强的极地微生物中发现的基因、蛋白质和途径具有深远的生物技术应用。此外，它们可能提供对这个星球以外的生命的见解，以及对过去的一瞥。高纬度地区对全球地球化学循环的投入也大得不成比例，是对气候变化最敏感的地区。
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.