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Qin X, Ren X, Wang X, Liu J, Wu H, Zeng X, Sun Y, Chen Z, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Chen W, Liu B, Liu D, Guo L, Li K, Zeng X, Huang H, Zhang Q, Yu S, Li C, Guo Z. Modern water at low latitudes on Mars: Potential evidence from dune surfaces. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd8868. [PMID: 37115933 PMCID: PMC10146874 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add8868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Landforms on the Martian surface are critical to understanding the nature of surface processes in the recent past. However, modern hydroclimatic conditions on Mars remain enigmatic, as explanations for the formation of observed landforms are ambiguous. We report crusts, cracks, aggregates, and bright polygonal ridges on the surfaces of hydrated salt-rich dunes of southern Utopia Planitia (~25°N) from in situ exploration by the Zhurong rover. These surface features were inferred to form after 1.4 to 0.4 million years ago. Wind and CO2 frost processes can be ruled out as potential mechanisms. Instead, involvement of saline water from thawed frost/snow is the most likely cause. This discovery sheds light on more humid conditions of the modern Martian climate and provides critical clues to future exploration missions searching for signs of extant life, particularly at low latitudes with comparatively warmer, more amenable surface temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoguang Qin
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author. (X.Q.); (X.R.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Xin Ren
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author. (X.Q.); (X.R.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Xu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author. (X.Q.); (X.R.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Jianjun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author. (X.Q.); (X.R.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Haibin Wu
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xingguo Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Sun
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaopeng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shihao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yizhong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wangli Chen
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dawei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Guo
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kangkang Li
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangzhao Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hai Huang
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Songzheng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunlai Li
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengtang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Cesur RM, Ansari IM, Chen F, Clark BC, Schneegurt MA. Bacterial Growth in Brines Formed by the Deliquescence of Salts Relevant to Cold Arid Worlds. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:104-115. [PMID: 34748403 PMCID: PMC8785760 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Hygroscopic salts at Mars' near-surface (MgSO4, (per)chlorates, NaCl) may form brines by absorbing moisture from the atmosphere at certain times through the process of deliquescence. We have previously shown strong bacterial growth in saturated MgSO4 (∼67% w/v as epsomite) at room temperature, and growth was observed at the MgSO4 eutectic point (43% w/v at -4°C). Here, we have investigated the growth of salinotolerant microbes (Halomonas, Marinococcus, Planococcus) from Hot Lake, Washington; Basque Lake, British Columbia; and Great Salt Plains, Oklahoma under deliquescing conditions. Bacterial cultures were grown to mid-log phase in SP medium supplemented with 50% MgSO4 (as epsomite), 20% NaClO3, or 10% NaCl (w/v), and small aliquots in cups were dried by vacuum desiccation. When the dried culture was rehydrated by the manual addition of water, the culture resumed growth in the reconstituted brine. When desiccated cultures were maintained in a sealed container with a brine reservoir of the matching growth medium controlling the humidity of the headspace, the desiccated microbial culture evaporites formed brine by deliquescence using humidity alone. Bacterial cultures resumed growth in all three salts once rehydrated by deliquescence. Cultures of Halomonas sp. str. HL12 showed robust survival and growth when subjected to several cycles of desiccation and deliquescent or manual rehydration. Our laboratory demonstrations of microbial growth in deliquescent brines are relevant to the surface and near-subsurface of cold arid worlds like Mars. When conditions become wetter, hygroscopic evaporite minerals can deliquesce to produce the earliest habitable brines. Survival after desiccation and growth in deliquescent brines increases the likelihood that microbes from Earth, carried on spacecraft, pose a contamination risk to Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin M. Cesur
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, USA
| | - Irfan M. Ansari
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | - Mark A. Schneegurt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, USA
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Complex Brines and Their Implications for Habitability. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11080847. [PMID: 34440591 PMCID: PMC8398403 DOI: 10.3390/life11080847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There is evidence that life on Earth originated in cold saline waters around scorching hydrothermal vents, and that similar conditions might exist or have existed on Mars, Europa, Ganymede, Enceladus, and other worlds. Could potentially habitable complex brines with extremely low freezing temperatures exist in the shallow subsurface of these frigid worlds? Earth, Mars, and carbonaceous chondrites have similar bulk elemental abundances, but while the Earth is depleted in the most volatile elements, the Icy Worlds of the outer solar system are expected to be rich in them. The cooling of ionic solutions containing substances that likely exist in the Icy Worlds could form complex brines with the lowest eutectic temperature possible for the compounds available in them. Indeed, here, we show observational and theoretical evidence that even elements present in trace amounts in nature are concentrated by freeze–thaw cycles, and therefore contribute significantly to the formation of brine reservoirs that remain liquid throughout the year in some of the coldest places on Earth. This is interesting because the eutectic temperature of water–ammonia solutions can be as low as ~160 K, and significant fractions of the mass of the Icy Worlds are estimated to be water substance and ammonia. Thus, briny solutions with eutectic temperature of at least ~160 K could have formed where, historically, temperature have oscillated above and below ~160 K. We conclude that complex brines must exist in the shallow subsurface of Mars and the Icy Worlds, and that liquid saline water should be present where ice has existed, the temperature is above ~160 K, and evaporation and sublimation have been inhibited.
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Rivera-Valentín EG, Chevrier VF, Soto A, Martínez G. DISTRIBUTION AND HABITABILITY OF (META)STABLE BRINES ON PRESENT-DAY MARS. NATURE ASTRONOMY 2020; 4:756-761. [PMID: 33344776 PMCID: PMC7745847 DOI: 10.1038/s41550-020-1080-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Special Regions on Mars are defined as environments able to host liquid water that meets certain temperature and water activity requirements that allow known terrestrial organisms to replicate1,2, and therefore could be habitable. Such regions would be a concern for planetary protection policies owing to the potential for forward contamination (biological contamination from Earth). Pure liquid water is unstable on the Martian surface3,4, but brines may be present3,5. Experimental work has shown that brines persist beyond their predicted stability region, leading to metastable liquids8-10. Here we show that (meta)stable brines can form and persist from the equator to high latitudes on the surface of Mars for a few percent of the year for up to six consecutive hours, a broader range than previously thought11,12. However, only the lowest eutectic solutions can form, leading to brines with temperatures of less than 225 K. Our results indicate that (meta)stable brines on the Martian surface and shallow subsurface (a few centimeters deep) are not habitable because their water activities and temperatures fall outside the known tolerances for terrestrial life. Furthermore, (meta)stable brines do not meet the Special Regions requirements, reducing the risk for forward contamination and easing threats related to the exploration of the Martian surface.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vincent F. Chevrier
- Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | | | - Germán Martínez
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, TX 77058, USA
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Carrier B, Beaty D, Meyer M, Blank J, Chou L, DasSarma S, Des Marais D, Eigenbrode J, Grefenstette N, Lanza N, Schuerger A, Schwendner P, Smith H, Stoker C, Tarnas J, Webster K, Bakermans C, Baxter B, Bell M, Benner S, Bolivar Torres H, Boston P, Bruner R, Clark B, DasSarma P, Engelhart A, Gallegos Z, Garvin Z, Gasda P, Green J, Harris R, Hoffman M, Kieft T, Koeppel A, Lee P, Li X, Lynch K, Mackelprang R, Mahaffy P, Matthies L, Nellessen M, Newsom H, Northup D, O'Connor B, Perl S, Quinn R, Rowe L, Sauterey B, Schneegurt M, Schulze-Makuch D, Scuderi L, Spilde M, Stamenković V, Torres Celis J, Viola D, Wade B, Walker C, Wiens R, Williams A, Williams J, Xu J. Mars Extant Life: What's Next? Conference Report. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:785-814. [PMID: 32466662 PMCID: PMC7307687 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
On November 5-8, 2019, the "Mars Extant Life: What's Next?" conference was convened in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The conference gathered a community of actively publishing experts in disciplines related to habitability and astrobiology. Primary conclusions are as follows: A significant subset of conference attendees concluded that there is a realistic possibility that Mars hosts indigenous microbial life. A powerful theme that permeated the conference is that the key to the search for martian extant life lies in identifying and exploring refugia ("oases"), where conditions are either permanently or episodically significantly more hospitable than average. Based on our existing knowledge of Mars, conference participants highlighted four potential martian refugium (not listed in priority order): Caves, Deep Subsurface, Ices, and Salts. The conference group did not attempt to reach a consensus prioritization of these candidate environments, but instead felt that a defensible prioritization would require a future competitive process. Within the context of these candidate environments, we identified a variety of geological search strategies that could narrow the search space. Additionally, we summarized a number of measurement techniques that could be used to detect evidence of extant life (if present). Again, it was not within the scope of the conference to prioritize these measurement techniques-that is best left for the competitive process. We specifically note that the number and sensitivity of detection methods that could be implemented if samples were returned to Earth greatly exceed the methodologies that could be used at Mars. Finally, important lessons to guide extant life search processes can be derived both from experiments carried out in terrestrial laboratories and analog field sites and from theoretical modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- B.L. Carrier
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - D.W. Beaty
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | - J.G. Blank
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - L. Chou
- Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - S. DasSarma
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | | | - N.L. Lanza
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - A.C. Schuerger
- University of Florida/Space Life Sciences Laboratory, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA
| | - P. Schwendner
- University of Florida/Space Life Sciences Laboratory, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA
| | - H.D. Smith
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - C.R. Stoker
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - J.D. Tarnas
- Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - K.D. Webster
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - C. Bakermans
- Pennsylvania State University, Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - B.K. Baxter
- Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - M.S. Bell
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - S.A. Benner
- Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Alachua, Florida, USA
| | - H.H. Bolivar Torres
- Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Coyoacan, Distrito Federal Mexico, Mexico
| | - P.J. Boston
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - R. Bruner
- Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - B.C. Clark
- Space Science Institute, Littleton, Colorado, USA
| | - P. DasSarma
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Z.E. Gallegos
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Z.K. Garvin
- Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - P.J. Gasda
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - J.H. Green
- Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - R.L. Harris
- Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - M.E. Hoffman
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - T. Kieft
- New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico, USA
| | | | - P.A. Lee
- College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - X. Li
- University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - K.L. Lynch
- Lunar and Planetary Institute/USRA, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - R. Mackelprang
- California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, USA
| | - P.R. Mahaffy
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - L.H. Matthies
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | - H.E. Newsom
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - D.E. Northup
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | | | - S.M. Perl
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - R.C. Quinn
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - L.A. Rowe
- Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana, USA
| | | | | | | | - L.A. Scuderi
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - M.N. Spilde
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - V. Stamenković
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - J.A. Torres Celis
- Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Coyoacan, Distrito Federal Mexico, Mexico
| | - D. Viola
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - B.D. Wade
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - C.J. Walker
- Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware, USA
| | - R.C. Wiens
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | | | - J.M. Williams
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - J. Xu
- University of Texas, El Paso, Texas, USA
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Pulschen AA, de Araujo GG, de Carvalho ACSR, Cerini MF, Fonseca LDM, Galante D, Rodrigues F. Survival of Extremophilic Yeasts in the Stratospheric Environment during Balloon Flights and in Laboratory Simulations. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:e01942-18. [PMID: 30266724 PMCID: PMC6238051 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01942-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The high-altitude atmosphere is a harsh environment with extremely low temperatures, low pressure, and high UV irradiation. For this reason, it has been proposed as an analogue for Mars, presenting deleterious factors similar to those on the surface of that planet. We evaluated the survival of extremophilic UV-resistant yeasts isolated from a high-elevation area in the Atacama Desert under stratospheric conditions. As biological controls, intrinsically resistant Bacillus subtilis spores were used. Experiments were performed in two independent stratospheric balloon flights and with an environmental simulation chamber. The three following different conditions were evaluated: (i) desiccation, (ii) desiccation plus exposure to stratospheric low pressure and temperature, and (3) desiccation plus exposure to the full stratospheric environment (UV, low pressure, and temperature). Two strains, Naganishia (Cryptococcus) friedmannii 16LV2 and Exophiala sp. strain 15LV1, survived full exposures to the stratosphere in larger numbers than did B. subtilis spores. Holtermanniella watticus (also known as Holtermanniella wattica) 16LV1, however, suffered a substantial loss in viability upon desiccation and did not survive the stratospheric UV exposure. The remarkable resilience of N. friedmannii and Exophiala sp. 15LV1 under the extreme Mars-like conditions of the stratosphere confirms its potential as a eukaryotic model for astrobiology. Additionally, our results with N. friedmannii strengthen the recent hypothesis that yeasts belonging to the Naganishia genus are fit for aerial dispersion, which might account for the observed abundance of this species in high-elevation soils.IMPORTANCE Studies of eukaryotic microorganisms under conditions of astrobiological relevance, as well as the aerial dispersion potential of extremophilic yeasts, are still lacking in the literature compared to works with bacteria. Using stratospheric balloon flights and a simulation chamber, we demonstrate that yeasts isolated from an extreme environment are capable of surviving all stressors found in the stratosphere, including intense UV irradiation, scoring an even higher survival than B. subtilis spores. Notably, the yeast N. friedmannii, which displayed one of the highest tolerances to the stratospheric environment in the experiments, was recently proposed to be adapted to airborne transportation, although such a hypothesis had not yet been tested. Our results strengthen such an assumption and can help explain the observed distribution and ecology of this particular yeast species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Maria Fernanda Cerini
- Graduate Program in Biomolecular Physics, São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Douglas Galante
- Graduate Program in Biomolecular Physics, São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabio Rodrigues
- Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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7
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Heinz J, Schirmack J, Airo A, Kounaves SP, Schulze-Makuch D. Enhanced Microbial Survivability in Subzero Brines. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:1171-1180. [PMID: 29664686 PMCID: PMC6150940 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that dissolved salts can significantly lower the freezing point of water and thus extend habitability to subzero conditions. However, most investigations thus far have focused on sodium chloride as a solute. In this study, we report on the survivability of the bacterial strain Planococcus halocryophilus in sodium, magnesium, and calcium chloride or perchlorate solutions at temperatures ranging from +25°C to -30°C. In addition, we determined the survival rates of P. halocryophilus when subjected to multiple freeze/thaw cycles. We found that cells suspended in chloride-containing samples have markedly increased survival rates compared with those in perchlorate-containing samples. In both cases, the survival rates increase with lower temperatures; however, this effect is more pronounced in chloride-containing samples. Furthermore, we found that higher salt concentrations increase survival rates when cells are subjected to freeze/thaw cycles. Our findings have important implications not only for the habitability of cold environments on Earth but also for extraterrestrial environments such as that of Mars, where cold brines might exist in the subsurface and perhaps even appear temporarily at the surface such as at recurring slope lineae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Heinz
- Center of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Janosch Schirmack
- Center of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alessandro Airo
- Center of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Samuel P. Kounaves
- Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dirk Schulze-Makuch
- Center of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
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8
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Barge LM, Cardoso SSS, Cartwright JHE, Doloboff IJ, Flores E, Macías-Sánchez E, Sainz-Díaz CI, Sobrón P. Self-assembling iron oxyhydroxide/oxide tubular structures: laboratory-grown and field examples from Rio Tinto. Proc Math Phys Eng Sci 2016; 472:20160466. [PMID: 27956875 DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2016.0466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rio Tinto in southern Spain has become of increasing astrobiological significance, in particular for its similarity to environments on early Mars. We present evidence of tubular structures from sampled terraces in the stream bed at the source of the river, as well as ancient, now dry, terraces. This is the first reported finding of tubular structures in this particular environment. We propose that some of these structures could be formed through self-assembly via an abiotic mechanism involving templated precipitation around a fluid jet, a similar mechanism to that commonly found in so-called chemical gardens. Laboratory experiments simulating the formation of self-assembling iron oxyhydroxide tubes via chemical garden/chemobrionic processes form similar structures. Fluid-mechanical scaling analysis demonstrates that the proposed mechanism is plausible. Although the formation of tube structures is not itself a biosignature, the iron mineral oxidation gradients across the tube walls in laboratory and field examples may yield information about energy gradients and potentially habitable environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Barge
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA; NASA Astrobiology Institute, Icy Worlds, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Silvana S S Cardoso
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology , University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 3RA , UK
| | - Julyan H E Cartwright
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, IACT, CSIC-UGR, Av. de las Palmeras, 4, 18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Ivria J Doloboff
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA; NASA Astrobiology Institute, Icy Worlds, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Erika Flores
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA; NASA Astrobiology Institute, Icy Worlds, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Elena Macías-Sánchez
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, IACT, CSIC-UGR, Av. de las Palmeras, 4, 18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain; Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - C Ignacio Sainz-Díaz
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, IACT, CSIC-UGR , Av. de las Palmeras, 4, 18100 Armilla, Granada , Spain
| | - Pablo Sobrón
- Carl Sagan Center, SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA, USA; Impossible Sensing, St Louis, MO, USA
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Shcherbakova V, Oshurkova V, Yoshimura Y. The Effects of Perchlorates on the Permafrost Methanogens: Implication for Autotrophic Life on Mars. Microorganisms 2015; 3:518-34. [PMID: 27682103 PMCID: PMC5023257 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms3030518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The terrestrial permafrost represents a range of possible cryogenic extraterrestrial ecosystems on Earth-like planets without obvious surface ice, such as Mars. The autotrophic and chemolithotrophic psychrotolerant methanogens are more likely than aerobes to function as a model for life forms that may exist in frozen subsurface environments on Mars, which has no free oxygen, inaccessible organic matter, and extremely low amounts of unfrozen water. Our research on the genesis of methane, its content and distribution in permafrost horizons of different ages and origin demonstrated the presence of methane in permanently frozen fine-grained sediments. Earlier, we isolated and described four strains of methanogenic archaea of Methanobacterium and Methanosarcina genera from samples of Pliocene and Holocene permafrost from Eastern Siberia. In this paper we study the effect of sodium and magnesium perchlorates on growth of permafrost and nonpermafrost methanogens, and present evidence that permafrost hydogenotrophic methanogens are more resistant to the chaotropic agent found in Martian soil. In this paper we study the effect of sodium and magnesium perchlorates on the growth of permafrost and nonpermafrost methanogens, and present evidence that permafrost hydogenotrophic methanogens are more resistant to the chaotropic agent found in Martian soil. Furthermore, as shown in the studies strain M2(T) M. arcticum, probably can use perchlorate anion as an electron acceptor in anaerobic methane oxidation. Earth's subzero subsurface environments are the best approximation of environments on Mars, which is most likely to harbor methanogens; thus, a biochemical understanding of these pathways is expected to provide a basis for designing experiments to detect autotrophic methane-producing life forms on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Shcherbakova
- Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect Nauki 5, Pushchino, Moscow, 142290, Russia.
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5210, Japan.
| | - Viktoria Oshurkova
- Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect Nauki 5, Pushchino, Moscow, 142290, Russia.
| | - Yoshitaka Yoshimura
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5210, Japan.
- College of Agriculture, Tamagawa University, 6-1-1 Tamagawagakuen, Machida, Tokyo, 194-8610, Japan.
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10
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Pulschen AA, Rodrigues F, Duarte RTD, Araujo GG, Santiago IF, Paulino-Lima IG, Rosa CA, Kato MJ, Pellizari VH, Galante D. UV-resistant yeasts isolated from a high-altitude volcanic area on the Atacama Desert as eukaryotic models for astrobiology. Microbiologyopen 2015; 4:574-88. [PMID: 26147800 PMCID: PMC4554453 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sairecabur volcano (5971 m), in the Atacama Desert, is a high-altitude extreme environment with high daily temperature variations, acidic soils, intense UV radiation, and low availability of water. Four different species of yeasts were isolated from this region using oligotrophic media, identified and characterized for their tolerance to extreme conditions. rRNA sequencing revealed high identity (>98%) to Cryptococcus friedmannii, Exophiala sp., Holtermanniella watticus, and Rhodosporidium toruloides. To our knowledge, this is the first report of these yeasts in the Atacama Desert. All isolates showed high resistance to UV-C, UV-B and environmental-UV radiation, capacity to grow at moderate saline media (0.75–2.25 mol/L NaCl) and at moderate to cold temperatures, being C. friedmannii and H. watticus able to grow in temperatures down to −6.5°C. The presence of pigments, analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, correlated with UV resistance in some cases, but there is evidence that, on the natural environment, other molecular mechanisms may be as important as pigmentation, which has implications for the search of spectroscopic biosignatures on planetary surfaces. Due to the extreme tolerances of the isolated yeasts, these organisms represent interesting eukaryotic models for astrobiological purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- André A Pulschen
- Chemistry Institute, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabio Rodrigues
- Chemistry Institute, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rubens T D Duarte
- Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology Department, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Gabriel G Araujo
- Interunities Graduate Program in Biotechnology, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Iara F Santiago
- Department of Microbiology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ivan G Paulino-Lima
- NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California
| | - Carlos A Rosa
- Department of Microbiology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Massuo J Kato
- Chemistry Institute, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Douglas Galante
- Interunities Graduate Program in Biotechnology, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Campinas, Brazil
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11
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Carbon monoxide as a metabolic energy source for extremely halophilic microbes: implications for microbial activity in Mars regolith. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:4465-70. [PMID: 25831529 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1424989112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbon monoxide occurs at relatively high concentrations (≥800 parts per million) in Mars' atmosphere, where it represents a potentially significant energy source that could fuel metabolism by a localized putative surface or near-surface microbiota. However, the plausibility of CO oxidation under conditions relevant for Mars in its past or at present has not been evaluated. Results from diverse terrestrial brines and saline soils provide the first documentation, to our knowledge, of active CO uptake at water potentials (-41 MPa to -117 MPa) that might occur in putative brines at recurrent slope lineae (RSL) on Mars. Results from two extremely halophilic isolates complement the field observations. Halorubrum str. BV1, isolated from the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah (to our knowledge, the first documented extremely halophilic CO-oxidizing member of the Euryarchaeota), consumed CO in a salt-saturated medium with a water potential of -39.6 MPa; activity was reduced by only 28% relative to activity at its optimum water potential of -11 MPa. A proteobacterial isolate from hypersaline Mono Lake, California, Alkalilimnicola ehrlichii MLHE-1, also oxidized CO at low water potentials (-19 MPa), at temperatures within ranges reported for RSL, and under oxic, suboxic (0.2% oxygen), and anoxic conditions (oxygen-free with nitrate). MLHE-1 was unaffected by magnesium perchlorate or low atmospheric pressure (10 mbar). These results collectively establish the potential for microbial CO oxidation under conditions that might obtain at local scales (e.g., RSL) on contemporary Mars and at larger spatial scales earlier in Mars' history.
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