1
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Hüner NPA, Ivanov AG, Szyszka-Mroz B, Savitch LV, Smith DR, Kata V. Photostasis and photosynthetic adaptation to polar life. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2024; 161:51-64. [PMID: 38865029 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-024-01104-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Photostasis is the light-dependent maintenance of energy balance associated with cellular homeostasis in photoautotrophs. We review evidence that illustrates how photosynthetic adaptation in polar photoautrophs such as aquatic green algae, cyanobacteria, boreal conifers as well as terrestrial angiosperms exhibit an astonishing plasticity in structure and function of the photosynthetic apparatus. This plasticity contributes to the maintenance of photostasis, which is essential for the long-term survival in the seemingly inhospitable Antarctic and Arctic habitats. However, evidence indicates that polar photoautrophic species exhibit different functional solutions for the maintenance of photostasis. We suggest that this reflects, in part, the genetic diversity symbolized by inherent genetic redundancy characteristic of polar photoautotrophs which enhances their survival in a thermodynamically challenging environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman P A Hüner
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada.
| | - Alexander G Ivanov
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., bl. 21, Sofia, 1113, Bulgaria
| | - Beth Szyszka-Mroz
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Leonid V Savitch
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa Research and Development Centre, Ottawa, ON, K1A OC6, Canada
| | - David R Smith
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Victoria Kata
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
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2
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Kalra I, Wang X, Zhang R, Morgan-Kiss R. High salt-induced PSI-supercomplex is associated with high CEF and attenuation of state transitions. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2023; 157:65-84. [PMID: 37347385 PMCID: PMC10484818 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-023-01032-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
While PSI-driven cyclic electron flow (CEF) and assembly of thylakoid supercomplexes have been described in model organisms like Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, open questions remain regarding their contributions to survival under long-term stress. The Antarctic halophyte, C. priscuii UWO241 (UWO241), possesses constitutive high CEF rates and a stable PSI-supercomplex as a consequence of adaptation to permanent low temperatures and high salinity. To understand whether CEF represents a broader acclimation strategy to short- and long-term stress, we compared high salt acclimation between the halotolerant UWO241, the salt-sensitive model, C. reinhardtii, and a moderately halotolerant Antarctic green alga, C. sp. ICE-MDV (ICE-MDV). CEF was activated under high salt and associated with increased non-photochemical quenching in all three Chlamydomonas species. Furthermore, high salt-acclimated cells of either strain formed a PSI-supercomplex, while state transition capacity was attenuated. How the CEF-associated PSI-supercomplex interferes with state transition response is not yet known. We present a model for interaction between PSI-supercomplex formation, state transitions, and the important role of CEF for survival during long-term exposure to high salt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isha Kalra
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056 USA
- Present Address: Department of Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056 USA
| | - Ru Zhang
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO 63132 USA
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3
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Dorrell RG, Kuo A, Füssy Z, Richardson EH, Salamov A, Zarevski N, Freyria NJ, Ibarbalz FM, Jenkins J, Pierella Karlusich JJ, Stecca Steindorff A, Edgar RE, Handley L, Lail K, Lipzen A, Lombard V, McFarlane J, Nef C, Novák Vanclová AM, Peng Y, Plott C, Potvin M, Vieira FRJ, Barry K, de Vargas C, Henrissat B, Pelletier E, Schmutz J, Wincker P, Dacks JB, Bowler C, Grigoriev IV, Lovejoy C. Convergent evolution and horizontal gene transfer in Arctic Ocean microalgae. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:6/3/e202201833. [PMID: 36522135 PMCID: PMC9756366 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities in the world ocean are affected strongly by oceanic circulation, creating characteristic marine biomes. The high connectivity of most of the ocean makes it difficult to disentangle selective retention of colonizing genotypes (with traits suited to biome specific conditions) from evolutionary selection, which would act on founder genotypes over time. The Arctic Ocean is exceptional with limited exchange with other oceans and ice covered since the last ice age. To test whether Arctic microalgal lineages evolved apart from algae in the global ocean, we sequenced four lineages of microalgae isolated from Arctic waters and sea ice. Here we show convergent evolution and highlight geographically limited HGT as an ecological adaptive force in the form of PFAM complements and horizontal acquisition of key adaptive genes. Notably, ice-binding proteins were acquired and horizontally transferred among Arctic strains. A comparison with Tara Oceans metagenomes and metatranscriptomes confirmed mostly Arctic distributions of these IBPs. The phylogeny of Arctic-specific genes indicated that these events were independent of bacterial-sourced HGTs in Antarctic Southern Ocean microalgae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard G Dorrell
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France.,CNRS Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEE, Paris, France
| | - Alan Kuo
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Zoltan Füssy
- Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Elisabeth H Richardson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta and Department of Biological Sciences, and University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Asaf Salamov
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Nikola Zarevski
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France.,CNRS Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEE, Paris, France
| | - Nastasia J Freyria
- Département de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative des Systèmes, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Federico M Ibarbalz
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France.,CNRS Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEE, Paris, France
| | - Jerry Jenkins
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.,HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Juan Jose Pierella Karlusich
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France.,CNRS Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEE, Paris, France
| | - Andrei Stecca Steindorff
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Robyn E Edgar
- Département de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative des Systèmes, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lori Handley
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Kathleen Lail
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Anna Lipzen
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vincent Lombard
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - John McFarlane
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta and Department of Biological Sciences, and University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Charlotte Nef
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France.,CNRS Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEE, Paris, France
| | - Anna Mg Novák Vanclová
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France.,CNRS Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEE, Paris, France
| | - Yi Peng
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Chris Plott
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Marianne Potvin
- Département de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative des Systèmes, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Fabio Rocha Jimenez Vieira
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France.,CNRS Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEE, Paris, France
| | - Kerrie Barry
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Colomban de Vargas
- CNRS Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEE, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Station Biologique de Roscoff, AD2M, UMR 7144, Roscoff, France
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eric Pelletier
- CNRS Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEE, Paris, France.,Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique, CNRS, Université Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, Évry, France
| | - Jeremy Schmutz
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.,HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Patrick Wincker
- CNRS Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEE, Paris, France.,Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique, CNRS, Université Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, Évry, France
| | - Joel B Dacks
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta and Department of Biological Sciences, and University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Chris Bowler
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France.,CNRS Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEE, Paris, France
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Connie Lovejoy
- Département de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative des Systèmes, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
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4
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Sherwell S, Kalra I, Li W, McKnight DM, Priscu JC, Morgan-Kiss RM. Antarctic lake phytoplankton and bacteria from near-surface waters exhibit high sensitivity to climate-driven disturbance. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:6017-6032. [PMID: 35860854 PMCID: PMC10084183 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs), Antarctica, represent a cold, desert ecosystem poised on the threshold of melting and freezing water. The MDVs have experienced dramatic signs of climatic change, most notably a warm austral summer in 2001-2002 that caused widespread flooding, partial ice cover loss and lake level rise. To understand the impact of these climatic disturbances on lake microbial communities, we simulated lake level rise and ice-cover loss by transplanting dialysis-bagged communities from selected depths to other locations in the water column or to an open water perimeter moat. Bacteria and eukaryote communities residing in the surface waters (5 m) exhibited shifts in community composition when exposed to either disturbance, while microbial communities from below the surface were largely unaffected by the transplant. We also observed an accumulation of labile dissolved organic carbon in the transplanted surface communities. In addition, there were taxa-specific sensitivities: cryptophytes and Actinobacteria were highly sensitive particularly to the moat transplant, while chlorophytes and several bacterial taxa increased in relative abundance or were unaffected. Our results reveal that future climate-driven disturbances will likely undermine the stability and productivity of MDV lake phytoplankton and bacterial communities in the surface waters of this extreme environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Isha Kalra
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
| | - Diane M McKnight
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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5
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Zhang N, Mattoon EM, McHargue W, Venn B, Zimmer D, Pecani K, Jeong J, Anderson CM, Chen C, Berry JC, Xia M, Tzeng SC, Becker E, Pazouki L, Evans B, Cross F, Cheng J, Czymmek KJ, Schroda M, Mühlhaus T, Zhang R. Systems-wide analysis revealed shared and unique responses to moderate and acute high temperatures in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Commun Biol 2022; 5:460. [PMID: 35562408 PMCID: PMC9106746 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03359-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Different intensities of high temperatures affect the growth of photosynthetic cells in nature. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we cultivated the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under highly controlled photobioreactor conditions and revealed systems-wide shared and unique responses to 24-hour moderate (35°C) and acute (40°C) high temperatures and subsequent recovery at 25°C. We identified previously overlooked unique elements in response to moderate high temperature. Heat at 35°C transiently arrested the cell cycle followed by partial synchronization, up-regulated transcripts/proteins involved in gluconeogenesis/glyoxylate-cycle for carbon uptake and promoted growth. But 40°C disrupted cell division and growth. Both high temperatures induced photoprotection, while 40°C distorted thylakoid/pyrenoid ultrastructure, affected the carbon concentrating mechanism, and decreased photosynthetic efficiency. We demonstrated increased transcript/protein correlation during both heat treatments and hypothesize reduced post-transcriptional regulation during heat may help efficiently coordinate thermotolerance mechanisms. During recovery after both heat treatments, especially 40°C, transcripts/proteins related to DNA synthesis increased while those involved in photosynthetic light reactions decreased. We propose down-regulating photosynthetic light reactions during DNA replication benefits cell cycle resumption by reducing ROS production. Our results provide potential targets to increase thermotolerance in algae and crops. A systems-wide analysis of the single-cell green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardti reveals shared and unique responses to moderate and acute high temperatures using multiple-level investigation of transcriptomics, proteomics, cell physiology, photosynthetic parameters, and cellular ultrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningning Zhang
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Erin M Mattoon
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA.,Plant and Microbial Biosciences Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, 63130, USA
| | - Will McHargue
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA.,Plant and Microbial Biosciences Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, 63130, USA
| | | | - David Zimmer
- TU Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, 67663, Germany
| | - Kresti Pecani
- The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, 10065, USA
| | - Jooyeon Jeong
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Cheyenne M Anderson
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA.,Plant and Microbial Biosciences Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, 63130, USA
| | - Chen Chen
- University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Berry
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Ming Xia
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Shin-Cheng Tzeng
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Eric Becker
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Leila Pazouki
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Bradley Evans
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | - Fred Cross
- The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, 10065, USA
| | - Jianlin Cheng
- University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, USA
| | - Kirk J Czymmek
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA
| | | | | | - Ru Zhang
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63132, USA.
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6
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Stahl-Rommel S, Kalra I, D'Silva S, Hahn MM, Popson D, Cvetkovska M, Morgan-Kiss RM. Cyclic electron flow (CEF) and ascorbate pathway activity provide constitutive photoprotection for the photopsychrophile, Chlamydomonas sp. UWO 241 (renamed Chlamydomonas priscuii). PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2022; 151:235-250. [PMID: 34609708 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-021-00877-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Under environmental stress, plants and algae employ a variety of strategies to protect the photosynthetic apparatus and maintain photostasis. To date, most studies on stress acclimation have focused on model organisms which possess limited to no tolerance to stressful extremes. We studied the ability of the Antarctic alga Chlamydomonas sp. UWO 241 (UWO 241) to acclimate to low temperature, high salinity or high light. UWO 241 maintained robust growth and photosynthetic activity at levels of temperature (2 °C) and salinity (700 mM NaCl) which were nonpermissive for a mesophilic sister species, Chlamydomonas raudensis SAG 49.72 (SAG 49.72). Acclimation in the mesophile involved classic mechanisms, including downregulation of light harvesting and shifts in excitation energy between photosystem I and II. In contrast, UWO 241 exhibited high rates of PSI-driven cyclic electron flow (CEF) and a larger capacity for nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ). Furthermore, UWO 241 exhibited constitutively high activity of two key ascorbate cycle enzymes, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase and maintained a large ascorbate pool. These results matched the ability of the psychrophile to maintain low ROS under short-term photoinhibition conditions. We conclude that tight control over photostasis and ROS levels are essential for photosynthetic life to flourish in a native habitat of permanent photooxidative stress. We propose to rename this organism Chlamydomonas priscuii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Stahl-Rommel
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 45045, USA
- JES Tech, Houston, TX, 77058, USA
| | - Isha Kalra
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 45045, USA
| | - Susanna D'Silva
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 45045, USA
| | - Mark M Hahn
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 45045, USA
| | - Devon Popson
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 45045, USA
| | - Marina Cvetkovska
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Rachael M Morgan-Kiss
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 45045, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, 700 E High St., 212 Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA.
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7
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Cvetkovska M, Zhang X, Vakulenko G, Benzaquen S, Szyszka-Mroz B, Malczewski N, Smith DR, Hüner NPA. A constitutive stress response is a result of low temperature growth in the Antarctic green alga Chlamydomonas sp. UWO241. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:156-177. [PMID: 34664276 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The Antarctic green alga Chlamydomonas sp. UWO241 is an obligate psychrophile that thrives in the cold (4-6°C) but is unable to survive at temperatures ≥18°C. Little is known how exposure to heat affects its physiology or whether it mounts a heat stress response in a manner comparable to mesophiles. Here, we dissect the responses of UWO241 to temperature stress by examining its growth, primary metabolome and transcriptome under steady-state low temperature and heat stress conditions. In comparison with Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, UWO241 constitutively accumulates metabolites and proteins commonly considered as stress markers, including soluble sugars, antioxidants, polyamines, and heat shock proteins to ensure efficient protein folding at low temperatures. We propose that this results from life at extreme conditions. A shift from 4°C to a non-permissive temperature of 24°C alters the UWO241 primary metabolome and transcriptome, but growth of UWO241 at higher permissive temperatures (10 and 15°C) does not provide enhanced heat protection. UWO241 also fails to induce the accumulation of HSPs when exposed to heat, suggesting that it has lost the ability to fine-tune its heat stress response. Our work adds to the growing body of research on temperature stress in psychrophiles, many of which are threatened by climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Cvetkovska
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xi Zhang
- Department of Biology and the Biotron Centre for Experimental Climate Change Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Galyna Vakulenko
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Samuel Benzaquen
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Beth Szyszka-Mroz
- Department of Biology and the Biotron Centre for Experimental Climate Change Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nina Malczewski
- Department of Biology and the Biotron Centre for Experimental Climate Change Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - David R Smith
- Department of Biology and the Biotron Centre for Experimental Climate Change Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Norman P A Hüner
- Department of Biology and the Biotron Centre for Experimental Climate Change Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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8
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Hüner NPA, Smith DR, Cvetkovska M, Zhang X, Ivanov AG, Szyszka-Mroz B, Kalra I, Morgan-Kiss R. Photosynthetic adaptation to polar life: Energy balance, photoprotection and genetic redundancy. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 268:153557. [PMID: 34922115 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2021.153557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The persistent low temperature that characterize polar habitats combined with the requirement for light for all photoautotrophs creates a conundrum. The absorption of too much light at low temperature can cause an energy imbalance that decreases photosynthetic performance that has a negative impact on growth and can affect long-term survival. The goal of this review is to survey the mechanism(s) by which polar photoautotrophs maintain cellular energy balance, that is, photostasis to overcome the potential for cellular energy imbalance in their low temperature environments. Photopsychrophiles are photosynthetic organisms that are obligately adapted to low temperature (0⁰- 15 °C) but usually die at higher temperatures (≥20 °C). In contrast, photopsychrotolerant species can usually tolerate and survive a broad range of temperatures (5⁰- 40 °C). First, we summarize the basic concepts of excess excitation energy, energy balance, photoprotection and photostasis and their importance to survival in polar habitats. Second, we compare the photoprotective mechanisms that underlie photostasis and survival in aquatic cyanobacteria and green algae as well as terrestrial Antarctic and Arctic plants. We show that polar photopsychrophilic and photopsychrotolerant organisms attain energy balance at low temperature either through a regulated reduction in the efficiency of light absorption or through enhanced capacity to consume photosynthetic electrons by the induction of O2 as an alternative electron acceptor. Finally, we compare the published genomes of three photopsychrophilic and one photopsychrotolerant alga with five mesophilic green algae including the model green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We relate our genomic analyses to photoprotective mechanisms that contribute to the potential attainment of photostasis. Finally, we discuss how the observed genomic redundancy in photopsychrophilic genomes may confer energy balance, photoprotection and resilience to their harsh polar environment. Primary production in aquatic, Antarctic and Arctic environments is dependent on diverse algal and cyanobacterial communities. Although mosses and lichens dominate the Antarctic terrestrial landscape, only two extant angiosperms exist in the Antarctic. The identification of a single 'molecular key' to unravel adaptation of photopsychrophily and photopsychrotolerance remains elusive. Since these photoautotrophs represent excellent biomarkers to assess the impact of global warming on polar ecosystems, increased study of these polar photoautotrophs remains essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman P A Hüner
- Dept. of Biology and the Biotron Centre for Experimental Climate Change Research, University of Western Ontario, London, N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - David R Smith
- Dept. of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | | | - Xi Zhang
- Dept. of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - Alexander G Ivanov
- Dept. of Biology and the Biotron Centre for Experimental Climate Change Research, University of Western Ontario, London, N6A 5B7, Canada; Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, 1113, Bulgaria.
| | - Beth Szyszka-Mroz
- Dept. of Biology and the Biotron Centre for Experimental Climate Change Research, University of Western Ontario, London, N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - Isha Kalra
- Dept. of Microbiology, Miami University of Ohio, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA.
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9
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10
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Young JN, Schmidt K. It's what's inside that matters: physiological adaptations of high-latitude marine microalgae to environmental change. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 227:1307-1318. [PMID: 32391569 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Marine microalgae within seawater and sea ice fuel high-latitude ecosystems and drive biogeochemical cycles through the fixation and export of carbon, uptake of nutrients, and production and release of oxygen and organic compounds. High-latitude marine environments are characterized by cold temperatures, dark winters and a strong seasonal cycle. Within this environment a number of diverse and dynamic habitats exist, particularly in association with the formation and melt of sea ice, with distinct microalgal communities that transition with the season. Algal physiology is a crucial component, both responding to the dynamic environment and in turn influencing its immediate physicochemical environment. As high-latitude oceans shift into new climate regimes the analysis of seasonal responses may provide insights into how microalgae will respond to long-term environmental change. This review discusses recent developments in our understanding of how the physiology of high-latitude marine microalgae is regulated over a polar seasonal cycle, with a focus on ice-associated (sympagic) algae. In particular, physiologies that impact larger scale processes will be explored, with an aim to improve our understanding of current and future ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi N Young
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Katrin Schmidt
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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Raymond JA, Morgan-Kiss R, Stahl-Rommel S. Glycerol Is an Osmoprotectant in Two Antarctic Chlamydomonas Species From an Ice-Covered Saline Lake and Is Synthesized by an Unusual Bidomain Enzyme. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:1259. [PMID: 32973829 PMCID: PMC7468427 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Glycerol, a compatible solute, has previously been found to act as an osmoprotectant in some marine Chlamydomonas species and several species of Dunaliella from hypersaline ponds. Recently, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Dunaliella salina were shown to make glycerol with an unusual bidomain enzyme, which appears to be unique to algae, that contains a phosphoserine phosphatase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Here we report that two psychrophilic species of Chlamydomonas (C. spp. UWO241 and ICE-MDV) from Lake Bonney, Antarctica also produce high levels of glycerol to survive in the lake's saline waters. Glycerol concentration increased linearly with salinity and at 1.3 M NaCl, exceeded 400 mM in C. sp. UWO241, the more salt-tolerant strain. We also show that both species expressed several isoforms of the bidomain enzyme. An analysis of one of the isoforms of C. sp. UWO241 showed that it was strongly upregulated by NaCl and is thus the likely source of glycerol. These results reveal another adaptation of the Lake Bonney Chlamydomonas species that allow them to survive in an extreme polar environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A. Raymond
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
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Smith DR, Cvetkovska M, Hüner NPA, Morgan-Kiss R. Presence and absence of light-independent chlorophyll biosynthesis among Chlamydomonas green algae in an ice-covered Antarctic lake. Commun Integr Biol 2019; 12:148-150. [PMID: 31666915 PMCID: PMC6802932 DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2019.1676611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The cold, permanently ice-covered waters of Lake Bonney, Antarctica, may seem like an uninviting place for an alga, but they are home to a diversity of photosynthetic life, including Chlamydomonas sp. UWO241, a psychrophile residing in the deep photic zone. Recently, we found that UWO241 has lost the genes responsible for light-independent chlorophyll biosynthesis, which is surprising given that this green alga comes from a light-limited environment and experiences extended periods of darkness during the Antarctic winter. Why discard such a process? We argued that it might be linked to the very high dissolved oxygen concentration of Lake Bonney at the depth at which UWO241 is found. Oxygen is the Achilles’ heel of the key enzyme involved in light-independent chlorophyll biosynthesis: DPOR. If this hypothesis is true, then other algae in Lake Bonney should also be susceptible to losing DPOR, such as Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-MDV, which predominantly resides in the chemocline, a depth with an even higher oxygen concentration than that where UWO241 exists. Here, we report that, contrary to our earlier prediction, ICE-MDV has maintained the genes encoding DPOR. We briefly discuss the implications of this finding in relation to the loss of light-independent chlorophyll synthesis in UWO241.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Roy Smith
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marina Cvetkovska
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Norman P A Hüner
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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Li W, Morgan-Kiss RM. Influence of Environmental Drivers and Potential Interactions on the Distribution of Microbial Communities From Three Permanently Stratified Antarctic Lakes. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1067. [PMID: 31156585 PMCID: PMC6530420 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The McMurdo Dry Valley (MDV) lakes represent unique habitats in the microbial world. Perennial ice covers protect liquid water columns from either significant allochthonous inputs or seasonal mixing, resulting in centuries of stable biogeochemistry. Extreme environmental conditions including low seasonal photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), near freezing temperatures, and oligotrophy have precluded higher trophic levels from the food webs. Despite these limitations, diverse microbial life flourishes in the stratified water columns, including Archaea, bacteria, fungi, protists, and viruses. While a few recent studies have applied next generation sequencing, a thorough understanding of the MDV lake microbial diversity and community structure is currently lacking. Here we used Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes combined with a microscopic survey of key eukaryotes to compare the community structure and potential interactions among the bacterial and eukaryal communities within the water columns of Lakes Bonney (east and west lobes, ELB, and WLB, respectively) and Fryxell (FRX). Communities were distinct between the upper, oxic layers and the dark, anoxic waters, particularly among the bacterial communities residing in WLB and FRX. Both eukaryal and bacterial community structure was influenced by different biogeochemical parameters in the oxic and anoxic zones. Bacteria formed complex interaction networks which were lake-specific. Several eukaryotes exhibit potential interactions with bacteria in ELB and WLB, while interactions between these groups in the more productive FRX were relatively rare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States
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