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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Diversity of Extremophiles in Time and Space
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Diversity of Extremophiles in Time and Space

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2021) | Viewed by 16586

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Fernando Puente-Sánchez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Systems Biology Department, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain
Interests: environmental microbiology; ecology; bioinformatics
Prof. Max Chavarría

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigaciones en Productos Naturales, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
Interests: environmental microbiology; microbial biotechnology; extremophiles

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Life is found everywhere on planet Earth, including in environments that would be challenging or outright lethal to most known life forms. The organisms that thrive under such conditions, collectively known as extremophiles, hold a twofold interest, as they not only expand the boundaries of life as we understand it but also present unique adaptations with an untapped biotechnological potential.

While their unique traits make these organisms very easy to recognize, it is also true that the word “extremophile” is an umbrella term that groups together entities with very different phylogenetic origins, physiologic characteristics, and environmental preferences. On the other hand, it is unclear whether the microbial communities formed by these apparently heterogeneous organisms display common eco-evolutionary characteristics that can be distinguished from those found in their less extreme counterparts.

For this Special Issue, we aim to explore the diversity and spatiotemporal distribution of microorganisms from different extreme environments using the different tools available to microbial ecologists. We encourage researchers to send original articles, reviews or short communications that advance our understanding of extreme microorganisms, ecosystems or microbial processes. Submissions comparing communities from different environments or otherwise providing an integrative view of extreme microbiology are particularly encouraged.

Dr. Fernando Puente-Sánchez
Prof. Max Chavarría
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microbial ecology
  • extreme environments
  • extremophiles
  • extreme microbiology
  • astrobiology
  • biotechnology
  • habitability
  • limits of life

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 211 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue: Diversity of Extremophiles in Time and Space
by Fernando Puente-Sánchez and Max Chavarría
Microorganisms 2021, 9(12), 2472; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9122472 - 30 Nov 2021
Viewed by 1311
Abstract
Extreme environments are fascinating ecosystems that have allowed us to increase our knowledge about the evolutionary processes of life [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Extremophiles in Time and Space)

Research

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19 pages, 2866 KiB  
Article
Distribution and Activity of Sulfur-Metabolizing Bacteria along the Temperature Gradient in Phototrophic Mats of the Chilean Hot Spring Porcelana
by Ricardo Konrad, Pablo Vergara-Barros, Jaime Alcorta, María E. Alcamán-Arias, Gloria Levicán, Christina Ridley and Beatriz Díez
Microorganisms 2023, 11(7), 1803; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11071803 - 14 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1456
Abstract
In terrestrial hot springs, some members of the microbial mat community utilize sulfur chemical species for reduction and oxidization metabolism. In this study, the diversity and activity of sulfur-metabolizing bacteria were evaluated along a temperature gradient (48–69 °C) in non-acidic phototrophic mats of [...] Read more.
In terrestrial hot springs, some members of the microbial mat community utilize sulfur chemical species for reduction and oxidization metabolism. In this study, the diversity and activity of sulfur-metabolizing bacteria were evaluated along a temperature gradient (48–69 °C) in non-acidic phototrophic mats of the Porcelana hot spring (Northern Patagonia, Chile) using complementary meta-omic methodologies and specific amplification of the aprA (APS reductase) and soxB (thiosulfohydrolase) genes. Overall, the key players in sulfur metabolism varied mostly in abundance along the temperature gradient, which is relevant for evaluating the possible implications of microorganisms associated with sulfur cycling under the current global climate change scenario. Our results strongly suggest that sulfate reduction occurs throughout the whole temperature gradient, being supported by different taxa depending on temperature. Assimilative sulfate reduction is the most relevant pathway in terms of taxonomic abundance and activity, whereas the sulfur-oxidizing system (Sox) is likely to be more diverse at low rather than at high temperatures. Members of the phylum Chloroflexota showed higher sulfur cycle-related transcriptional activity at 66 °C, with a potential contribution to sulfate reduction and oxidation to thiosulfate. In contrast, at the lowest temperature (48 °C), Burkholderiales and Acetobacterales (both Pseudomonadota, also known as Proteobacteria) showed a higher contribution to dissimilative sulfate reduction/oxidation as well as to thiosulfate metabolism. Cyanobacteriota and Planctomycetota were especially active in assimilatory sulfate reduction. Analysis of the aprA and soxB genes pointed to members of the order Burkholderiales (Gammaproteobacteria) as the most dominant and active along the temperature gradient for these genes. Changes in the diversity and activity of different sulfur-metabolizing bacteria in photoautotrophic microbial mats along a temperature gradient revealed their important role in hot spring environments, especially the main primary producers (Chloroflexota/Cyanobacteriota) and diazotrophs (Cyanobacteriota), showing that carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles are highly linked in these extreme systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Extremophiles in Time and Space)
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18 pages, 967 KiB  
Article
Diversity and Activity of Sulfate-Reducing Prokaryotes in Kamchatka Hot Springs
by Evgenii N. Frolov, Alexandra V. Gololobova, Alexandra A. Klyukina, Elizaveta A. Bonch-Osmolovskaya, Nikolay V. Pimenov, Nikolay A. Chernyh and Alexander Y. Merkel
Microorganisms 2021, 9(10), 2072; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9102072 - 01 Oct 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2385
Abstract
Microbial communities of the Kamchatka Peninsula terrestrial hot springs were studied using radioisotopic and cultural approaches, as well as by the amplification and sequencing of dsrB and 16S rRNA genes fragments. Radioisotopic experiments with 35S-labeled sulfate showed that microbial communities of the [...] Read more.
Microbial communities of the Kamchatka Peninsula terrestrial hot springs were studied using radioisotopic and cultural approaches, as well as by the amplification and sequencing of dsrB and 16S rRNA genes fragments. Radioisotopic experiments with 35S-labeled sulfate showed that microbial communities of the Kamchatka hot springs are actively reducing sulfate. Both the cultivation experiments and the results of dsrB and 16S rRNA genes fragments analyses indicated the presence of microorganisms participating in the reductive part of the sulfur cycle. It was found that sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP) belonging to Desulfobacterota, Nitrospirota and Firmicutes phyla inhabited neutral and slightly acidic hot springs, while bacteria of phylum Thermodesulofobiota preferred moderately acidic hot springs. In high-temperature acidic springs sulfate reduction was mediated by archaea of the phylum Crenarchaeota, chemoorganoheterotrophic representatives of genus Vulcanisaeta being the most probable candidates. The 16S rRNA taxonomic profiling showed that in most of the studied communities SRP was present only as a minor component. Only in one microbial community, the representatives of genus Vulcanisaeta comprised a significant group. Thus, in spite of comparatively low sulfate concentrations in terrestrial hot springs of the Kamchatka, phylogenetically and metabolically diverse groups of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes are operating there coupling carbon and sulfur cycles in these habitats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Extremophiles in Time and Space)
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19 pages, 2571 KiB  
Article
Diatoms in Volcanic Soils of Mutnovsky and Gorely Volcanoes (Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia)
by Alfiya Fazlutdinova, Yunir Gabidullin, Rezeda Allaguvatova and Lira Gaysina
Microorganisms 2021, 9(9), 1851; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9091851 - 31 Aug 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2322
Abstract
Volcanic activity has a great impact on terrestrial ecosystems, including soil algae in general and diatoms in particular. To understand the influence of volcanoes on the biodiversity of diatoms, it is necessary to explore the flora of these microorganisms in regions with high [...] Read more.
Volcanic activity has a great impact on terrestrial ecosystems, including soil algae in general and diatoms in particular. To understand the influence of volcanoes on the biodiversity of diatoms, it is necessary to explore the flora of these microorganisms in regions with high volcanic activity, which includes the Kamchatka peninsula. During the study on diatoms in the soils of Mutnovsky and Gorely volcanoes of Kamchatka, 38 taxa were found. The Mutnovsky volcano diatom flora was more diverse and accounted for 35 taxa. Eunotia curtagrunowii, Humidophila contenta, and Pinnularia borealis were the dominant species. In the Gorely volcano, only 9 species were identified, with Caloneis bacillum and Pinnularia borealis prevailing in the samples. Overall, the genera Pinnularia and Eunotia were the most diverse in the studied area. The diatom flora of the studied volcanoes comprises mostly cosmopolitan small-sized taxa with a wide range of ecological plasticity. Our data confirm the high adaptive potential of diatom algae and add new knowledge about the ecology and biogeography of this group of microorganisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Extremophiles in Time and Space)
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18 pages, 4574 KiB  
Article
Unicellular versus Filamentous: The Glacial Alga Ancylonema alaskana comb. et stat. nov. and Its Ecophysiological Relatedness to Ancylonema nordenskioeldii (Zygnematophyceae, Streptophyta)
by Lenka Procházková, Tomáš Řezanka, Linda Nedbalová and Daniel Remias
Microorganisms 2021, 9(5), 1103; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9051103 - 20 May 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4278
Abstract
Melting polar and alpine ice surfaces frequently exhibit blooms of dark pigmented algae. These microbial extremophiles significantly reduce the surface albedo of glaciers, thus accelerating melt rates. However, the ecology, physiology and taxonomy of cryoflora are not yet fully understood. Here, a Swiss [...] Read more.
Melting polar and alpine ice surfaces frequently exhibit blooms of dark pigmented algae. These microbial extremophiles significantly reduce the surface albedo of glaciers, thus accelerating melt rates. However, the ecology, physiology and taxonomy of cryoflora are not yet fully understood. Here, a Swiss and an Austrian glacier dominated either by filamentous Ancylonema nordenskioeldii or unicellular Mesotaenium berggrenii var. alaskanum, were sampled. Molecular analysis showed that both species are closely related, sharing identical chloroplast morphologies (parietal-lobed for Ancylonema vs. axial plate-like for Mesotaenium sensu stricto), thus the unicellular species was renamed Ancylonema alaskana. Moreover, an ecophysiological comparison of the two species was performed: pulse–amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry confirmed that they have a high tolerance to elevated solar irradiation, the physiological light preferences reflected the conditions in the original habitat; nonetheless, A. nordenskioeldii was adapted to higher irradiances while the photosystems of A. alaskana were able to use efficiently low irradiances. Additionally, the main vacuolar polyphenol, which effectively shields the photosystems, was identical in both species. Also, about half of the cellular fatty acids were polyunsaturated, and the lipidome profiles dominated by triacylglycerols were very similar. The results indicate that A. alaskana is physiologically very similar and closely related but genetically distinct to A. nordenskioeldii. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Extremophiles in Time and Space)
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Review

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24 pages, 4329 KiB  
Review
Extremophilic Microorganisms in Central Europe
by Vera Zgonik, Janez Mulec, Tina Eleršek, Nives Ogrinc, Polona Jamnik and Nataša Poklar Ulrih
Microorganisms 2021, 9(11), 2326; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9112326 - 10 Nov 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3777
Abstract
Extremophiles inhabit a wide variety of environments. Here we focus on extremophiles in moderate climates in central Europe, and particularly in Slovenia. Although multiple types of stress often occur in the same habitat, extremophiles are generally combined into groups according to the main [...] Read more.
Extremophiles inhabit a wide variety of environments. Here we focus on extremophiles in moderate climates in central Europe, and particularly in Slovenia. Although multiple types of stress often occur in the same habitat, extremophiles are generally combined into groups according to the main stressor to which they are adapted. Several types of extremophiles, e.g., oligotrophs, are well represented and diverse in subsurface environments and karst regions. Psychrophiles thrive in ice caves and depressions with eternal snow and ice, with several globally distributed snow algae and psychrophilic bacteria that have been discovered in alpine glaciers. However, this area requires further research. Halophiles thrive in salterns while thermophiles inhabit thermal springs, although there is little data on such microorganisms in central Europe, despite many taxa being found globally. This review also includes the potential use of extremophiles in biotechnology and bioremediation applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Extremophiles in Time and Space)
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