Abstract
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.
Highlights
Low-temperature environments represent probably the largest untouched biological resource on our planet because the largest proportion of the Earth’s biomass exists in low temperate environments, largely marine
The focus of this review is to describe the physiological mechanisms involved in microalgae adaptations to cryospheric conditions, emphasizing insights “omics” techniques have recently provided
It is surrounded by the Southern Ocean, a high nutrient low chlorophyll (HNLC) region, which is covered by seasonal sea-ice that can extend up to 20 million km2, covering ~40% of the Southern Ocean during austral winters [24]
Summary
Low-temperature environments represent probably the largest untouched biological resource on our planet because the largest proportion of the Earth’s biomass exists in low temperate environments, largely marine. The semi-enclosed sea-ice habitat harbours a very diverse community of organisms interacting on a very small scale, continually acclimating and adapting to strong and oscillating environmental conditions [5]. This promotes fast evolution through horizontal exchange and recombination of genetic material. Global warming due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations has begun to seriously threaten the coldest environments on our planet, polar ecosystems. This could mean a loss of a vast pool of genetic diversity yet to be uncovered. More general reviews of metagenomic [20], proteomic [21], and metabolomic [22] environmental applications are available
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