麻豆淫院

The icy world of Antarctica might not be enticing to us, but it's bustling with microscopic life. Scientists recently got a detailed of a diverse range of microorganisms hidden beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), and they have a story to share.

By isolating individual cells from bacteria and a single-celled organism with no nucleus, called archaea, found in Mercer Subglacial Lake's (SLM) water and sediments, the researchers produced 1,374 single-cell amplified genomes (SAGs).

Genetic analysis revealed that most of these genomes belonged to new, undiscovered species, equipped with strikingly flexible metabolic strategies that allow them to survive in dark, isolated, oxygen-free environments.

The findings in Nature Communications highlight that the genetic makeup of these species is distinct from that of their marine and surface relatives.

Drilling projects in western Antarctica have provided scientists with ample hints about the existence of metabolically active microbial communities in the subglacial lakes. However, it wasn't quite clear how these organisms managed to survive in such energy-limited environments, since these lakes are isolated beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet, where they don't get enough sunlight or have access to food sources from the ocean or surface waters.

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The researchers sought to understand the metabolic activities that sustain these organisms and whether the isolated environment has influenced their evolution.

After drilling through 1,087 meters of ice, the researchers finally reached the SLM and collected both water and sediment samples. Microbial cells in the sample were sorted and collected using flow cytometry. The researchers made multiple copies of DNA from the collected microbial cells and analyzed them, uncovering 1,374 Single-Cell Amplified Genomes (SAGs).

Genomic data revealed fascinating ways in which these microbes got their energy. The data indicated that these microbes were experts at chemolithotropy, the process of using the oxidation of inorganic chemicals to generate energy.

They use chemicals like reduced sulfur, iron, and carbon monoxide to make their food and energy. However, their diet isn't limited to these substances.

The microbes can switch between getting energy from organic food like sugars or fats and inorganic chemicals, depending on what is available. In addition to being flexible about their energy sources, the organisms also seem to survive at a wide range of oxygen levels, from ample to none.

Upon performing a detailed phylogenetic analysis鈥攕tudy of the evolutionary history of life鈥攖he researchers found that microbes were genetically isolated from surface and marine life and had evolved independently in their subglacial environment.

The findings uncover the resilient ways these tiny living things adapt to survive and thrive in the unforgiving, frozen landscape of the Antarctic subglacial lakes.

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