COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: MIP: The Thermo-acidophilic Cyanidiales: Genetic and Physiological Diversity in Relation to Environment and Seasonal Change in Yellowstone National Park

俄勒冈大学的Richard Castenholz博士、蒙大拿州立大学的Timothy McDermott博士以及蒙大拿大学的Scott Miller和Frank Rrosenzweig博士获得了资助，以研究在黄石国家公园(YNP)极端环境中茁壮成长的蓝藻目单细胞藻类。绝对的数量、生物量和灿烂的蓝绿色使这些藻类成为居住在酸性地热泉水中的微生物群落的主要特征，在YNP中尤为明显。人们对研究这些简单的类植物微生物如何耐受定义其栖息地的极端环境特征[高温、酸性、重金属(Loid)S]有相当大的兴趣。这些藻类含有几乎所有光合作用真核生物中数量最少的基因，而且结构也相对简单。目前的努力已导致关于种群多样性和动态的重大发现，产生的证据有力地表明，紫外线辐射是控制这些藻类在这些恶劣环境中的一般健康和活动的关键环境因素。这项研究中将进行的实验将继续探索这些藻类的遗传和生理机制和过程，目的是更好地了解这些藻类如何在这种极端环境中茁壮成长。将研究在纯培养物和这些藻类栖息的YNP地热泉水中对紫外线照射的反应的基因表达。对这些藻类的研究在黄石公园嗜热微生物研究中占据着关键一环，并将与YNP的其他科学家的工作密切结合，以最大限度地发挥研究协同作用和发现新发现。这项工作还应有助于更好地了解限制植物一般环境范围的因素。YNP是《世界遗产公约》遗址和联合国教科文组织生物圈保护区；然而，用于评估YNP生态健康(包括自然或人为活动造成的任何时间变化)的信息很少。这项研究为YNP管理者提供了一个重要的资源评估工具，他们几乎完全依赖学术科学家来记录公园内物种的多样性和丰富性。此外，这项研究产生的信息将用于YNP的教育和推广工作，以教育丰富数以百万计的公园游客，他们对YNP的地热池和泉水感到惊讶，其中一些最明显和最常被观看的泉水是那些拥有大量氰化物垫子的泉水。最后，这项研究要完成的工作也与人力资源开发有关。研究生和本科生将获得重要的培训，帮助他们获得与他们早期职业目标一致的职位(私营部门、研究生院、学术界)。

A grant has been awarded to Drs. Richard Castenholz (University of Oregon), Timothy McDermott (Montana State University), and Scott Miller, and Frank Rrosenzweig (both of University of Montana) to study the unicellular algae of the order Cyanidiales that thrive in extreme environments in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). The sheer numbers, biomass, and brilliant blue-green color establish these algae as a dominant feature of the microbial communities inhabiting acidic geothermal springs and are especially conspicuous in YNP. There is considerable interest in studying how these simple plant-like microorganisms tolerate the extreme environmental features [high temperature, acidity, heavy metal(loid)s] that define their habitat. These algae contain nearly the smallest numbers of genes of all photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms and are also structurally relatively simple. Current efforts have resulted in major discoveries regarding population diversity and dynamics, generating evidence that strongly suggests that UV radiation is a keystone environmental factor that governs the general health and activity of these algae in these harsh environments. The experiments to be conducted in this study will continue to explore the genetic and physiologic mechanisms and processes of these algae with the goal being to better appreciate how these algae thrive in such extreme environments. Gene expression will be studied in response to UV irradiation in pure cultures and in YNP geothermal springs inhabited by these algae. The study of these algae occupies a key link in the study of the thermophilic microorganisms in Yellowstone, and will align closely with the work of other scientists in YNP to maximize research synergy and discovery. This work should also result in an improved understanding of factors that limit the environmental range of plants in general.YNP is a World Heritage Convention Site and an UNESCO Biosphere Preserve; however, there is a paucity of information for use in assessing the ecological health of YNP (including any temporal changes due to natural or anthropogenic activity). Work in this study represents a critical resource evaluation tool for YNP managers, who depend almost entirely on academic scientists to document the diversity and richness of species within the park. Furthermore, information generated in this study will be used in YNP's education and outreach efforts to educationally enrich the millions of park visitors who marvel at YNP's geothermal pools and springs, with some of the most obvious and frequently viewed springs being those that are home to extensive Cyanidiales mats. Finally, work to be completed in this study also bears on human resource development. Graduate and undergraduate students will obtain important training, helping them acquire positions that are consistent with their early career goals (private sector, graduate school, academia).