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Osyczka P, Myśliwa-Kurdziel B. Do the expected heatwaves pose a threat to lichens?: Linkage between a passive decline in water content in thalli and response to heat stress. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024. [PMID: 38874284 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Being poikilohydric, lichens are inherently exposed to alternating desiccation and hydration cycles. They can exhibit extraordinary resistance to extreme temperatures in a dehydrated state but thermal thresholds for hydrated lichens are lower. The ability of the lichen Cetraria aculeata to recovery after high temperature treatment (40°C, 60°C) at different air humidity levels (relative humidity [RH]: <15%, 25%, 50%, 75%, ≅100%) was examined to find a linkage between passive dehydration of the lichen and its physiological resistance to heat stress. The response to heating was determined by measuring parameters related to photosynthesis and respiration after 2- and 24-h recovery. A higher RH level resulted in a slower decline in relative water content (RWC) in hydrated thalli. In turn, the stress resistance of active thalli depended on the ambient humidity and associated RWC reduction. Elevated temperature had a negative impact on bioenergetic processes, but only an unnatural state of permanent full hydration during heat stress resulted in a lethal effect. Hydrated lichen thalli heated at 40°C and 50% relative humidity (RH) tended to be least susceptible to stress-induced damage. Although atypical climatic conditions may lead lichens to lethal thresholds, the actual likelihood of deadly threat to lichens due to heat events per se is debatable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Osyczka
- Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Beata Myśliwa-Kurdziel
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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Cho M, Lee SJ, Choi E, Kim J, Choi S, Lee JH, Park H. An Antarctic lichen isolate (Cladonia borealis) genome reveals potential adaptation to extreme environments. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1342. [PMID: 38228797 PMCID: PMC10792129 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51895-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Cladonia borealis is a lichen that inhabits Antarctica's harsh environment. We sequenced the whole genome of a C. borealis culture isolated from a specimen collected in Antarctica using long-read sequencing technology to identify specific genetic elements related to its potential environmental adaptation. The final genome assembly produced 48 scaffolds, the longest being 2.2 Mbp, a 1.6 Mbp N50 contig length, and a 36 Mbp total length. A total of 10,749 protein-coding genes were annotated, containing 33 biosynthetic gene clusters and 102 carbohydrate-active enzymes. A comparative genomics analysis was conducted on six Cladonia species, and the genome of C. borealis exhibited 45 expanded and 50 contracted gene families. We identified that C. borealis has more Copia transposable elements and expanded transporters (ABC transporters and magnesium transporters) compared to other Cladonia species. Our results suggest that these differences contribute to C. borealis' remarkable adaptability in the Antarctic environment. This study also provides a useful resource for the genomic analysis of lichens and genetic insights into the survival of species isolated from Antarctica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjoo Cho
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Seung Jae Lee
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Eunkyung Choi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Jinmu Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Soyun Choi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Jun Hyuck Lee
- Research Unit of Cryogenic Novel Material, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, 21990, South Korea.
- Department of Polar Sciences, University of Science and Technology, Incheon, 21990, South Korea.
| | - Hyun Park
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea.
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3
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Nikolić N, Zotz G, Bader MY. Modelling the carbon balance in bryophytes and lichens: Presentation of PoiCarb 1.0, a new model for explaining distribution patterns and predicting climate-change effects. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2024; 111:e16266. [PMID: 38038342 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16266] [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: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Bryophytes and lichens have important functional roles in many ecosystems. Insight into their CO2 -exchange responses to climatic conditions is essential for understanding current and predicting future productivity and biomass patterns, but responses are hard to quantify at time scales beyond instantaneous measurements. We present PoiCarb 1.0, a model to study how CO2 -exchange rates of these poikilohydric organisms change through time as a function of weather conditions. METHODS PoiCarb simulates diel fluctuations of CO2 exchange and estimates long-term carbon balances, identifying optimal and limiting climatic patterns. Modelled processes were net photosynthesis, dark respiration, evaporation and water uptake. Measured CO2 -exchange responses to light, temperature, atmospheric CO2 concentration, and thallus water content (calculated in a separate module) were used to parameterize the model's carbon module. We validated the model by comparing modelled diel courses of net CO2 exchange to such courses from field measurements on the tropical lichen Crocodia aurata. To demonstrate the model's usefulness, we simulated potential climate-change effects. RESULTS Diel patterns were reproduced well, and the modelled and observed diel carbon balances were strongly positively correlated. Simulated warming effects via changes in metabolic rates were consistently negative, while effects via faster drying were variable, depending on the timing of hydration. CONCLUSIONS Reproducing weather-dependent variation in diel carbon balances is a clear improvement compared to simply extrapolating short-term measurements or potential photosynthetic rates. Apart from predicting climate-change effects, future uses of PoiCarb include testing hypotheses about distribution patterns of poikilohydric organisms and guiding conservation strategies for species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada Nikolić
- Faculty of Geography, Ecological Plant Geography, University of Marburg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Zotz
- University of Oldenburg, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Functional Ecology of Plants, Germany
| | - Maaike Y Bader
- Faculty of Geography, Ecological Plant Geography, University of Marburg, Germany
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Porada P, Bader MY, Berdugo MB, Colesie C, Ellis CJ, Giordani P, Herzschuh U, Ma Y, Launiainen S, Nascimbene J, Petersen I, Raggio Quílez J, Rodríguez-Caballero E, Rousk K, Sancho LG, Scheidegger C, Seitz S, Van Stan JT, Veste M, Weber B, Weston DJ. A research agenda for nonvascular photoautotrophs under climate change. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 237:1495-1504. [PMID: 36511294 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Nonvascular photoautotrophs (NVP), including bryophytes, lichens, terrestrial algae, and cyanobacteria, are increasingly recognized as being essential to ecosystem functioning in many regions of the world. Current research suggests that climate change may pose a substantial threat to NVP, but the extent to which this will affect the associated ecosystem functions and services is highly uncertain. Here, we propose a research agenda to address this urgent question, focusing on physiological and ecological processes that link NVP to ecosystem functions while also taking into account the substantial taxonomic diversity across multiple ecosystem types. Accordingly, we developed a new categorization scheme, based on microclimatic gradients, which simplifies the high physiological and morphological diversity of NVP and world-wide distribution with respect to several broad habitat types. We found that habitat-specific ecosystem functions of NVP will likely be substantially affected by climate change, and more quantitative process understanding is required on: (1) potential for acclimation; (2) response to elevated CO2 ; (3) role of the microbiome; and (4) feedback to (micro)climate. We suggest an integrative approach of innovative, multimethod laboratory and field experiments and ecophysiological modelling, for which sustained scientific collaboration on NVP research will be essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Porada
- Ecological Modelling, Universität Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maaike Y Bader
- Ecological Plant Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstr. 10, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Monica B Berdugo
- Ecological Plant Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstr. 10, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Colesie
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JW, UK
| | | | | | - Ulrike Herzschuh
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems, Alfred Wegener Institute, Telegrafenberg A45, 14473, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Yunyao Ma
- Ecological Modelling, Universität Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Samuli Launiainen
- Ecosystems and Modeling, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juri Nascimbene
- BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Imke Petersen
- Ecological Modelling, Universität Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609, Hamburg, Germany
| | - José Raggio Quílez
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Kathrin Rousk
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, København, Denmark
| | - Leopoldo G Sancho
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Christoph Scheidegger
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL, Zürcherstr. 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Steffen Seitz
- Soil Science and Geomorphology, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 19-23, 72070, Tübingen, Germany
| | - John T Van Stan
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44115, USA
| | - Maik Veste
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 6, 03046, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Bettina Weber
- Division of Plant Sciences, Institute for Biology, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, A-8010, Graz, Austria
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - David J Weston
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
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Bokhorst S, Bjerke JW, Phoenix GK, Jaakola L, Maehre HK, Tømmervik H. Sub-arctic mosses and lichens show idiosyncratic responses to combinations of winter heatwaves, freezing and nitrogen deposition. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2023; 175:e13882. [PMID: 36840682 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Arctic ecosystems are increasingly exposed to extreme climatic events throughout the year, which can affect species performance. Cryptogams (bryophytes and lichens) provide important ecosystem services in polar ecosystems but may be physiologically affected or killed by extreme events. Through field and laboratory manipulations, we compared physiological responses of seven dominant sub-Arctic cryptogams (three bryophytes, four lichens) to single events and factorial combinations of mid-winter heatwave (6°C for 7 days), re-freezing, snow removal and summer nitrogen addition. We aimed to identify which mosses and lichens are vulnerable to these abiotic extremes and if combinations would exacerbate physiological responses. Combinations of extremes resulted in stronger species responses but included idiosyncratic species-specific responses. Species that remained dormant during winter (March), irrespective of extremes, showed little physiological response during summer (August). However, winter physiological activity, and response to winter extremes, was not consistently associated with summer physiological impacts. Winter extremes affect cryptogam physiology, but summer responses appear mild, and lichens affect the photobiont more than the mycobiont. Accounting for Arctic cryptogam response to multiple climatic extremes in ecosystem functioning and modelling will require a better understanding of their winter eco-physiology and repair capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stef Bokhorst
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, Tromsø, Norway
- Department of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jarle W Bjerke
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Gareth K Phoenix
- Plants Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Laura Jaakola
- Climate Laboratory Holt, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UIT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Ås, Norway
| | - Hanne K Maehre
- Norwegian College of Fishery Science, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UIT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Hans Tømmervik
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, Tromsø, Norway
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Stanton DE, Ormond A, Koch NM, Colesie C. Lichen ecophysiology in a changing climate. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16131. [PMID: 36795943 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16131] [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: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Lichens are one of the most iconic and ubiquitous symbioses known, widely valued as indicators of environmental quality and, more recently, climate change. Our understanding of lichen responses to climate has greatly expanded in recent decades, but some biases and constraints have shaped our present knowledge. In this review we focus on lichen ecophysiology as a key to predicting responses to present and future climates, highlighting recent advances and remaining challenges. Lichen ecophysiology is best understood through complementary whole-thallus and within-thallus scales. Water content and form (vapor or liquid) are central to whole-thallus perspectives, making vapor pressure differential (VPD) a particularly informative environmental driver. Responses to water content are further modulated by photobiont physiology and whole-thallus phenotype, providing clear links to a functional trait framework. However, this thallus-level perspective is incomplete without also considering within-thallus dynamics, such as changing proportions or even identities of symbionts in response to climate, nutrients, and other stressors. These changes provide pathways for acclimation, but their understanding is currently limited by large gaps in our understanding of carbon allocation and symbiont turnover in lichens. Lastly, the study of lichen physiology has mainly prioritized larger lichens at high latitudes, producing valuable insights but underrepresenting the range of lichenized lineages and ecologies. Key areas for future work include improving geographic and phylogenetic coverage, greater emphasis on VPD as a climatic factor, advances in the study of carbon allocation and symbiont turnover, and the incorporation of physiological theory and functional traits in our predictive models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Stanton
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Laboratory, 1479 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Amaris Ormond
- Global Change Institute, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9FF, UK
| | - Natalia M Koch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Laboratory, 1479 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Claudia Colesie
- Global Change Institute, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9FF, UK
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Meyer AR, Valentin M, Liulevicius L, McDonald TR, Nelsen MP, Pengra J, Smith RJ, Stanton D. Climate warming causes photobiont degradation and carbon starvation in a boreal climate sentinel lichen. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16114. [PMID: 36462151 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE The long-term potential for acclimation by lichens to changing climates is poorly known, despite their prominent roles in forested ecosystems. Although often considered "extremophiles," lichens may not readily acclimate to novel climates well beyond historical norms. In a previous study (Smith et al., 2018), Evernia mesomorpha transplants in a whole-ecosystem climate change experiment showed drastic mass loss after 1 yr of warming and drying; however, the causes of this mass loss were not addressed. METHODS We examined the causes of this warming-induced mass loss by measuring physiological, functional, and reproductive attributes of lichen transplants. RESULTS Severe loss of mass and physiological function occurred above +2°C of experimental warming. Loss of algal symbionts ("bleaching") and turnover in algal community compositions increased with temperature and were the clearest impacts of experimental warming. Enhanced CO2 had no significant physiological or symbiont composition effects. The functional loss of algal photobionts led to significant loss of mass and specific thallus mass (STM), which in turn reduced water-holding capacity (WHC). Although algal genotypes remained detectable in thalli exposed to higher stress, within-thallus photobiont communities shifted in composition toward greater diversity. CONCLUSIONS The strong negative impacts of warming and/or lower humidity on Evernia mesomorpha were driven by a loss of photobiont activity. Analogous to the effects of climate change on corals, the balance of symbiont carbon metabolism in lichens is central to their resilience to changing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail R Meyer
- Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55108, USA
| | - Maria Valentin
- Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55108, USA
| | - Laima Liulevicius
- Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55108, USA
| | - Tami R McDonald
- Biology Department, Saint Catherine University, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55105, USA
| | - Matthew P Nelsen
- The Field Museum, Negaunee Integrative Research Center and Grainger Bioinformatics Center, Chicago, Illinois, 60605, USA
| | - Jean Pengra
- Macalester College, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55105, USA
| | - Robert J Smith
- Air Resource Management Program, USDA Forest Service Headquarters, Biological and Physical Resources, Washington, DC, 20250, USA
| | - Daniel Stanton
- Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55108, USA
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8
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Beltrán-Sanz N, Raggio J, Pintado A, Dal Grande F, García Sancho L. Physiological Plasticity as a Strategy to Cope with Harsh Climatic Conditions: Ecophysiological Meta-Analysis of the Cosmopolitan Moss Ceratodon purpureus in the Southern Hemisphere. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:499. [PMID: 36771584 PMCID: PMC9919500 DOI: 10.3390/plants12030499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Determining the physiological tolerance ranges of species is necessary to comprehend the limits of their responsiveness under strong abiotic pressures. For this purpose, the cosmopolitan moss Ceratodon purpureus (Hedw.) Brid. is a good model due to its wide geographical distribution throughout different biomes and habitats. In order to disentangle how this species copes with stresses such as extreme temperatures and high radiation, we designed a meta-analysis by including the main photosynthetic traits obtained by gas exchange measurements in three contrasting habitats from the Southern Hemisphere. Our findings highlight that traits such as respiration homeostasis, modulation of the photosynthetic efficiency, adjustment of the optimal temperature, and switching between shade and sun-adapted forms, which are crucial in determining the responsiveness of this species. In fact, these ecophysiological traits are in concordance with the climatic particularities of each habitat. Furthermore, the photosynthetic trends found in our study point out how different Livingston Island (Maritime Antarctica) and Granite Harbour (Continental Antarctica) are for plant life, while the population from the Succulent Karoo Desert (South Africa) shares traits with both Antarctic regions. Altogether, the study highlights the high resilience of C. purpureus under abrupt climate changes and opens new perspectives about the wide spectrum of physiological responses of cryptogams to cope with climate change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Núria Beltrán-Sanz
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Raggio
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Pintado
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Leopoldo García Sancho
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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9
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Marín C, Barták M, Palfner G, Vergara-Barros P, Fernandoy F, Hájek J, Casanova-Katny A. Antarctic Lichens under Long-Term Passive Warming: Species-Specific Photochemical Responses to Desiccation and Heat Shock Treatments. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11192463. [PMID: 36235326 PMCID: PMC9572451 DOI: 10.3390/plants11192463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Climate warming in the Antarctic tundra will affect locally dominant cryptogams. Being adapted to low temperatures and freezing, little is known about the response of the polar lichens’ primary photochemistry to warming and desiccation. Since 2008, we have monitored the ecophysiological responses of lichens to the future warming scenario during a long-term warming experiment through open top chambers (OTCs) on Fildes Peninsula. We studied the primary photochemical response (potential Fv/Fm and effective efficiency of photosystem II YPSII) of different lichen taxa and morphotypes under desiccation kinetics and heat shock experiments. As lichens grow slowly, to observe changes during warming we methodologically focused on carbon and nitrogen content as well as on the stable isotope ratios. Endemic Himantormia lugubris showed the strongest effect of long-term warming on primary photochemistry, where PSII activity occurred at a lower %RWC inside the OTCs, in addition to higher Fv/Fm values at 30 °C in the heat shock kinetic treatment. In contrast, Usnea aurantiaco-atra did not show any effect of long-term warming but was active at a thallus RWC lower than 10%. Both Cladonia species were most affected by water stress, with Cladonia aff. gracilis showing no significant differences in primary photochemical responses between the warming and the control but a high sensibility to water deficiency, where, at 60% thallus RWC, the photochemical parameters began to decrease. We detected species-specific responses not only to long-term warming, but also to desiccation. On the other hand, the carbon content did not vary significantly among the species or because of the passive warming treatment. Similarly, the nitrogen content showed non-significant variation; however, the C/N ratio was affected, with the strongest C/N decrease in Cladonia borealis. Our results suggest that Antarctic lichens can tolerate warming and high temperature better than desiccation and that climate change may affect these species if it is associated with a decrease in water availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Marín
- Laboratory of Mycology and Mycorrhiza, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Campus Concepción, Concepción University, Concepción 4030000, Chile
| | - Miloš Barták
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Building A13/119, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Götz Palfner
- Laboratory of Mycology and Mycorrhiza, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Campus Concepción, Concepción University, Concepción 4030000, Chile
| | - Pablo Vergara-Barros
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Francisco Fernandoy
- Isotope Analysis Laboratory, Andrés Bello University, Viña del Mar 2531015, Chile
| | - Josef Hájek
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Building A13/119, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Angélica Casanova-Katny
- Laboratory of Plant Ecophysiology, Faculty of Natural Resources, Campus Luis Rivas del Canto, Catholic University of Temuco, Rudecindo Ortega #03694, Temuco 4780000, Chile
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +56-96-209-7709
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10
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Beltrán-Sanz N, Raggio J, Gonzalez S, Dal Grande F, Prost S, Green A, Pintado A, Sancho LG. Climate change leads to higher NPP at the end of the century in the Antarctic Tundra: Response patterns through the lens of lichens. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 835:155495. [PMID: 35472357 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155495] [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: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Poikilohydric autotrophs are the main colonizers of the permanent ice-free areas in the Antarctic tundra biome. Global climate warming and the small human footprint in this ecosystem make it especially vulnerable to abrupt changes. Elucidating the effects of climate change on the Antarctic ecosystem is challenging because it mainly comprises poikilohydric species, which are greatly influenced by microtopographic factors. In the present study, we investigated the potential effects of climate change on the metabolic activity and net primary photosynthesis (NPP) in the widespread lichen species Usnea aurantiaco-atra. Long-term monitoring of chlorophyll a fluorescence in the field was combined with photosynthetic performance measurements in laboratory experiments in order to establish the daily response patterns under biotic and abiotic factors at micro- and macro-scales. Our findings suggest that macroclimate is a poor predictor of NPP, thereby indicating that microclimate is the main driver due to the strong effects of microtopographic factors on cryptogams. Metabolic activity is also crucial for estimating the NPP, which is highly dependent on the type, distribution, and duration of the hydration sources available throughout the year. Under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, metabolic activity will increase slightly compared with that at present due to the increased precipitation events predicted in MIROC5. Temperature is highlighted as the main driver for NPP projections, and thus climate warming will lead to an average increase in NPP of 167-171% at the end of the century. However, small changes in other drivers such as light and relative humidity may strongly modify the metabolic activity patterns of poikilohydric autotrophs, and thus their NPP. Species with similar physiological response ranges to the species investigated in the present study are expected to behave in a similar manner provided that liquid water is available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Núria Beltrán-Sanz
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - José Raggio
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergi Gonzalez
- Antarctic Group, Spanish Meteorological Service (AEMET), Spain
| | - Francesco Dal Grande
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefan Prost
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria; University of Veterinary Medicine, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Savoyenstrasse 1a, A-1160 Vienna, Austria; Natural History Museum Vienna, Central Research Laboratories, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria; South African National Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
| | - Allan Green
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Pintado
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Leopoldo García Sancho
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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11
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Esseen P, Ekström M, Grafström A, Jonsson BG, Palmqvist K, Westerlund B, Ståhl G. Multiple drivers of large-scale lichen decline in boreal forest canopies. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:3293-3309. [PMID: 35156274 PMCID: PMC9310866 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Thin, hair-like lichens (Alectoria, Bryoria, Usnea) form conspicuous epiphyte communities across the boreal biome. These poikilohydric organisms provide important ecosystem functions and are useful indicators of global change. We analyse how environmental drivers influence changes in occurrence and length of these lichens on Norway spruce (Picea abies) over 10 years in managed forests in Sweden using data from >6000 trees. Alectoria and Usnea showed strong declines in southern-central regions, whereas Bryoria declined in northern regions. Overall, relative loss rates across the country ranged from 1.7% per year in Alectoria to 0.5% in Bryoria. These losses contrasted with increased length of Bryoria and Usnea in some regions. Occurrence trajectories (extinction, colonization, presence, absence) on remeasured trees correlated best with temperature, rain, nitrogen deposition, and stand age in multinomial logistic regression models. Our analysis strongly suggests that industrial forestry, in combination with nitrogen, is the main driver of lichen declines. Logging of forests with long continuity of tree cover, short rotation cycles, substrate limitation and low light in dense forests are harmful for lichens. Nitrogen deposition has decreased but is apparently still sufficiently high to prevent recovery. Warming correlated with occurrence trajectories of Alectoria and Bryoria, likely by altering hydration regimes and increasing respiration during autumn/winter. The large-scale lichen decline on an important host has cascading effects on biodiversity and function of boreal forest canopies. Forest management must apply a broad spectrum of methods, including uneven-aged continuous cover forestry and retention of large patches, to secure the ecosystem functions of these important canopy components under future climates. Our findings highlight interactions among drivers of lichen decline (forestry, nitrogen, climate), functional traits (dispersal, lichen colour, sensitivity to nitrogen, water storage), and population processes (extinction/colonization).
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Affiliation(s)
- Per‐Anders Esseen
- Department of Ecology and Environmental ScienceUmeå UniversityUmeåSweden
| | - Magnus Ekström
- Department of Statistics, USBEUmeå UniversityUmeåSweden
- Department of Forest Resource ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Anton Grafström
- Department of Forest Resource ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Bengt Gunnar Jonsson
- Department of Natural SciencesMid Sweden UniversitySundsvallSweden
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Environmental SciencesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Kristin Palmqvist
- Department of Ecology and Environmental ScienceUmeå UniversityUmeåSweden
| | - Bertil Westerlund
- Department of Forest Resource ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Göran Ståhl
- Department of Forest Resource ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
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12
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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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13
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Grzesiak J, Woltyńska A, Zdanowski MK, Górniak D, Świątecki A, Olech MA, Aleksandrzak-Piekarczyk T. Metabolic fingerprinting of the Antarctic cyanolichen Leptogium puberulum-associated bacterial community (Western Shore of Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Maritime Antarctica). MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2021; 82:818-829. [PMID: 33555368 PMCID: PMC8674174 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01701-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Lichens are presently regarded as stable biotopes, small ecosystems providing a safe haven for the development of a diverse and numerous microbiome. In this study, we conducted a functional diversity assessment of the microbial community residing on the surface and within the thalli of Leptogium puberulum, a eurytopic cyanolichen endemic to Antarctica, employing the widely used Biolog EcoPlates which test the catabolism of 31 carbon compounds in a colorimetric respiration assay. Lichen thalli occupying moraine ridges of differing age within a proglacial chronosequence, as well as those growing in sites of contrasting nutrient concentrations, were procured from the diverse landscape of the western shore of Admiralty Bay in Maritime Antarctica. The L. puberulum bacterial community catabolized photobiont- (glucose-containing carbohydrates) and mycobiont-specific carbon compounds (D-Mannitol). The bacteria also had the ability to process degradation products of lichen thalli components (D-cellobiose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine). Lichen thalli growth site characteristics had an impact on metabolic diversity and respiration intensity of the bacterial communities. While high nutrient contents in lichen specimens from "young" proglacial locations and in those from nitrogen enriched sites stimulated bacterial catabolic activity, in old proglacial locations and in nutrient-lacking sites, a metabolic activity restriction was apparent, presumably due to lichen-specific microbial control mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Grzesiak
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5A, 02-106, Warszawa, Poland.
| | - Aleksandra Woltyńska
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5A, 02-106, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Marek K Zdanowski
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5A, 02-106, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Dorota Górniak
- Department of Microbiology and Mycology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 1a, 10-719, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Aleksander Świątecki
- Department of Microbiology and Mycology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 1a, 10-719, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Maria A Olech
- Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30-387, Krakow, Poland
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14
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Concostrina-Zubiri L, Valencia E, Ochoa V, Gozalo B, Mendoza BJ, Maestre FT. Species-specific effects of biocrust-forming lichens on soil properties under simulated climate change are driven by functional traits. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:101-115. [PMID: 33314177 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Biocrusts are key drivers of ecosystem functioning in drylands, yet our understanding of how climate change will affect the chemistry of biocrust-forming species and their impacts on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling is still very limited. Using a manipulative experiment conducted with common biocrust-forming lichens with distinct morphology and chemistry (Buellia zoharyi, Diploschistes diacapsis, Psora decipiens and Squamarina lentigera), we evaluated changes in lichen total and isotopic C and N and several soil C and N variables after 50 months of simulated warming and rainfall reduction. Climate change treatments reduced δ13 C and the C : N ratio in B. zoharyi, and increased δ15 N in S. lentigera. Lichens had species-specific effects on soil dissolved organic N (DON), NH4+ , β-glucosidase and acid phosphatase activity regardless of climate change treatments, while these treatments changed how lichens affected several soil properties regardless of biocrust species. Changes in thallus δ13 C, N and C : N drove species-specific effects on dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), NH4+ , β-glucosidase and acid phosphatase activity. Our findings indicate that warmer and drier conditions will alter the chemistry of biocrust-forming lichens, affecting soil nutrient cycling, and emphasize their key role as modulators of climate change impacts in dryland soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Concostrina-Zubiri
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933, Spain
| | - Enrique Valencia
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933, Spain
| | - Victoria Ochoa
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio 'Ramon Margalef', Edificio Nuevos Institutos, Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, San Vicente del Raspeig, 03690, Spain
| | - Beatriz Gozalo
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio 'Ramon Margalef', Edificio Nuevos Institutos, Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, San Vicente del Raspeig, 03690, Spain
| | - Betty J Mendoza
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933, Spain
| | - Fernando T Maestre
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio 'Ramon Margalef', Edificio Nuevos Institutos, Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, San Vicente del Raspeig, 03690, Spain
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, 03690, Spain
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15
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Holt EA, Nelson PR. Climatic, vegetative, and disturbance predictors of lichen species’ height in Arctic Alaska, USA. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-020-02784-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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16
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Gutt J, Isla E, Xavier JC, Adams BJ, Ahn IY, Cheng CHC, Colesie C, Cummings VJ, di Prisco G, Griffiths H, Hawes I, Hogg I, McIntyre T, Meiners KM, Pearce DA, Peck L, Piepenburg D, Reisinger RR, Saba GK, Schloss IR, Signori CN, Smith CR, Vacchi M, Verde C, Wall DH. Antarctic ecosystems in transition - life between stresses and opportunities. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:798-821. [PMID: 33354897 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Important findings from the second decade of the 21st century on the impact of environmental change on biological processes in the Antarctic were synthesised by 26 international experts. Ten key messages emerged that have stakeholder-relevance and/or a high impact for the scientific community. They address (i) altered biogeochemical cycles, (ii) ocean acidification, (iii) climate change hotspots, (iv) unexpected dynamism in seabed-dwelling populations, (v) spatial range shifts, (vi) adaptation and thermal resilience, (vii) sea ice related biological fluctuations, (viii) pollution, (ix) endangered terrestrial endemism and (x) the discovery of unknown habitats. Most Antarctic biotas are exposed to multiple stresses and considered vulnerable to environmental change due to narrow tolerance ranges, rapid change, projected circumpolar impacts, low potential for timely genetic adaptation, and migration barriers. Important ecosystem functions, such as primary production and energy transfer between trophic levels, have already changed, and biodiversity patterns have shifted. A confidence assessment of the degree of 'scientific understanding' revealed an intermediate level for most of the more detailed sub-messages, indicating that process-oriented research has been successful in the past decade. Additional efforts are necessary, however, to achieve the level of robustness in scientific knowledge that is required to inform protection measures of the unique Antarctic terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and their contributions to global biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Gutt
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Columbusstr., Bremerhaven, 27568, Germany
| | - Enrique Isla
- Institute of Marine Sciences-CSIC, Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona, 08003, Spain
| | - José C Xavier
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Coimbra, Portugal.,British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environmental Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, U.K
| | - Byron J Adams
- Department of Biology and Monte L. Bean Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, U.S.A
| | - In-Young Ahn
- Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, 21990, South Korea
| | - C-H Christina Cheng
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
| | - Claudia Colesie
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, U.K
| | - Vonda J Cummings
- National Institute of Water and Atmosphere Research Ltd (NIWA), 301 Evans Bay Parade, Greta Point, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Guido di Prisco
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Via Pietro Castellino 111, Naples, I-80131, Italy
| | - Huw Griffiths
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environmental Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, U.K
| | - Ian Hawes
- Coastal Marine Field Station, University of Waikato, 58 Cross Road, Tauranga, 3100, New Zealand
| | - Ian Hogg
- School of Science, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand.,Canadian High Antarctic Research Station, Polar Knowledge Canada, PO Box 2150, Cambridge Bay, NU, X0B 0C0, Canada
| | - Trevor McIntyre
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Private Bag X6, Florida, 1710, South Africa
| | - Klaus M Meiners
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, and Australian Antarctic Program Partnership, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, TAS, 7004, Australia
| | - David A Pearce
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environmental Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, U.K.,Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University at Newcastle, Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, U.K
| | - Lloyd Peck
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environmental Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, U.K
| | - Dieter Piepenburg
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Columbusstr., Bremerhaven, 27568, Germany
| | - Ryan R Reisinger
- Centre d'Etudes Biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, 79360, France
| | - Grace K Saba
- Center for Ocean Observing Leadership, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, 71 Dudley Rd., New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, U.S.A
| | - Irene R Schloss
- Instituto Antártico Argentino, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Bernardo Houssay 200, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, CP V9410CAB, Argentina.,Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, CP V9410CAB, Argentina
| | - Camila N Signori
- Oceanographic Institute, University of São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, São Paulo, CEP: 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Craig R Smith
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1000 Pope Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822, U.S.A
| | - Marino Vacchi
- Institute for the Study of the Anthropic Impacts and the Sustainability of the Marine Environment (IAS), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via de Marini 6, Genoa, 16149, Italy
| | - Cinzia Verde
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Via Pietro Castellino 111, Naples, I-80131, Italy
| | - Diana H Wall
- Department of Biology and School of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, U.S.A
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17
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Klarenberg IJ, Keuschnig C, Warshan D, Jónsdóttir IS, Vilhelmsson O. The Total and Active Bacterial Community of the Chlorolichen Cetraria islandica and Its Response to Long-Term Warming in Sub-Arctic Tundra. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:540404. [PMID: 33391192 PMCID: PMC7775390 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.540404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Lichens are traditionally defined as a symbiosis between a fungus and a green alga and or a cyanobacterium. This idea has been challenged by the discovery of bacterial communities inhabiting the lichen thalli. These bacteria are thought to contribute to the survival of lichens under extreme and changing environmental conditions. How these changing environmental conditions affect the lichen-associated bacterial community composition remains unclear. We describe the total (rDNA-based) and potentially metabolically active (rRNA-based) bacterial community of the lichen Cetaria islandica and its response to long-term warming using a 20-year warming experiment in an Icelandic sub-Arctic tundra. 16S rRNA and rDNA amplicon sequencing showed that the orders Acetobacterales (of the class Alphaproteobacteria) and Acidobacteriales (of the phylum Acidobacteria) dominated the bacterial community. Numerous amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) could only be detected in the potentially active community but not in the total community. Long-term warming led to increases in relative abundance of bacterial taxa on class, order and ASV level. Warming altered the relative abundance of ASVs of the most common bacterial genera, such as Granulicella and Endobacter. The potentially metabolically active bacterial community was also more responsive to warming than the total community. Our results suggest that the bacterial community of the lichen C. islandica is dominated by acidophilic taxa and harbors disproportionally active rare taxa. We also show for the first time that climate warming can lead to shifts in lichen-associated bacterial community composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingeborg J. Klarenberg
- Natural Resource Sciences, University of Akureyri, Akureyri, Iceland
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Christoph Keuschnig
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, CNRS, École Centrale de Lyon, Écully, France
| | - Denis Warshan
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | | | - Oddur Vilhelmsson
- Natural Resource Sciences, University of Akureyri, Akureyri, Iceland
- BioMedical Center, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
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18
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Misiak M, Goodall‐Copestake WP, Sparks TH, Worland MR, Boddy L, Magan N, Convey P, Hopkins DW, Newsham KK. Inhibitory effects of climate change on the growth and extracellular enzyme activities of a widespread Antarctic soil fungus. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 27:1111-1125. [PMID: 33230837 PMCID: PMC7898924 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Temperatures approaching or exceeding 20°C have been measured during summer in polar regions at the surfaces of barren fellfield soils under cloudless skies around solar noon. However, despite the upper temperature limit for the growth of cold-adapted microbes-which are abundant in polar soils and have pivotal roles in nutrient cycling-typically being close to this temperature, previous studies have not addressed the consequences of climate change for the metabolism of these organisms in the natural environment. Here in a 5-year field experiment on Alexander Island in the southern maritime Antarctic, we show that the abundance of Pseudogymnoascus roseus, the most widespread decomposer fungus in maritime Antarctic fellfield soils, is reduced by 1-2 orders of magnitude when irrigated and nutrient-amended soils are warmed to >20°C during summer. Laboratory experiments under conditions mimicking those during midsummer in the natural environment indicated that the hyphal extension rates of P. roseus isolates and the activities of five extracellular enzymes are reduced by 54%-96% at high water availability after exposure to temperatures cycling daily from 2 to 21°C and 2 to 24°C, relative to temperatures cycling from 2 to 18°C. Given that the temperatures of surface soils at the study site already reach 19°C during midsummer, the observations reported here suggest that, at predicted rates of warming arising from moderate greenhouse gas emissions, inhibitory effects of climate change on the metabolism of P. roseus could manifest themselves within the next few decades. Furthermore, with peak temperatures at the surfaces of fellfield soils at other maritime Antarctic locations and in High Arctic and alpine regions already exceeding 20°C during summer, the observations suggest that climate warming has the potential to inhibit the growth of other cold-adapted microbes, with negative effects on soils as the Earth's climate continues to warm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Misiak
- British Antarctic SurveyNERCCambridgeUK
- Cardiff School of BiosciencesCardiffUK
| | - William P. Goodall‐Copestake
- British Antarctic SurveyNERCCambridgeUK
- Present address:
Scottish Association for Marine ScienceObanArgyllPA37 1QAUK
| | - Tim H. Sparks
- Institute of ZoologyPoznań University of Life SciencesPoznańPoland
- Museum of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | | | | | - Naresh Magan
- Applied Mycology Group, Environment and AgriFood ThemeCranfield UniversityCranfieldUK
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19
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Wang H, Li H, Xu J, Tian K. Negative Responses of Wetland Plant Species to Warming Linked to Temperature Artifacts. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.524486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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21
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Shelyakin M, Zakhozhiy I, Golovko T. The effect of temperature on Antarctic lichen cytochrome and alternative respiratory pathway rates. Polar Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-020-02758-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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22
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Fernández-Marín B, López-Pozo M, Perera-Castro AV, Arzac MI, Sáenz-Ceniceros A, Colesie C, de los Ríos A, Sancho LG, Pintado A, Laza JM, Pérez-Ortega S, García-Plazaola JI. Symbiosis at its limits: ecophysiological consequences of lichenization in the genus Prasiola in Antarctica. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 124:1211-1226. [PMID: 31549137 PMCID: PMC6943718 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz149] [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: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Lichens represent a symbiotic relationship between at least one fungal and one photosynthetic partner. The association between the lichen-forming fungus Mastodia tessellata (Verrucariaceae) and different species of Prasiola (Trebouxiophyceae) has an amphipolar distribution and represents a unique case study for the understanding of lichen symbiosis because of the macroalgal nature of the photobiont, the flexibility of the symbiotic interaction and the co-existence of free-living and lichenized forms in the same microenvironment. In this context, we aimed to (1) characterize the photosynthetic performance of co-occurring populations of free-living and lichenized Prasiola and (2) assess the effect of the symbiosis on water relations in Prasiola, including its tolerance of desiccation and its survival and performance under sub-zero temperatures. METHODS Photochemical responses to irradiance, desiccation and freezing temperature and pressure-volume curves of co-existing free-living and lichenized Prasiola thalli were measured in situ in Livingston Island (Maritime Antarctica). Analyses of photosynthetic pigment, glass transition and ice nucleation temperatures, surface hydrophobicity extent and molecular analyses were conducted in the laboratory. KEY RESULTS Free-living and lichenized forms of Prasiola were identified as two different species: P. crispa and Prasiola sp., respectively. While lichenization appears to have no effect on the photochemical performance of the alga or its tolerance of desiccation (in the short term), the symbiotic lifestyle involves (1) changes in water relations, (2) a considerable decrease in the net carbon balance and (3) enhanced freezing tolerance. CONCLUSIONS Our results support improved tolerance of sub-zero temperature as the main benefit of lichenization for the photobiont, but highlight that lichenization represents a delicate equilibrium between a mutualistic and a less reciprocal relationship. In a warmer climate scenario, the spread of the free-living Prasiola to the detriment of the lichen form would be likely, with unknown consequences for Maritime Antarctic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Fernández-Marín
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
- Department of Botany, Ecology and Physiology, University of La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna, Canarias, Spain
| | - Marina López-Pozo
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Alicia V Perera-Castro
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB) - Instituto de Investigaciones Agroambientales y de Economía del Agua (INAGEA), Palma, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Miren Irati Arzac
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Ana Sáenz-Ceniceros
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Claudia Colesie
- Global Change Institute, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Leo G Sancho
- Botany Section, Fac. Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Pintado
- Botany Section, Fac. Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M Laza
- Laboratory of Macromolecular Chemistry (Labquimac), Department of Physical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | | | - José I García-Plazaola
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
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Shelyakin MA, Andreev MP, Tabalenkova GN, Golovko TK. Respiratory Activity of Some Lichen Species–Representatives of Antarctic Flora. CONTEMP PROBL ECOL+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1995425519040115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Abstract
This paper provides an overview of bioclimatic models applied to lichen species, supporting their potential use in this context as indicators of climate change risk. First, it provides a brief summary of climate change risk, pointing to the relevance of lichens as a topic area. Second, it reviews the past use of lichen bioclimatic models, applied for a range of purposes with respect to baseline climate, and the application of data sources, statistical methods, model extents and resolution and choice of predictor variables. Third, it explores additional challenges to the use of lichen bioclimatic models, including: 1. The assumption of climatically controlled lichen distributions, 2. The projection to climate change scenarios, and 3. The issue of nonanalogue climates and model transferability. Fourth, the paper provides a reminder that bioclimatic models estimate change in the extent or range of a species suitable climate space, and that an outcome will be determined by vulnerability responses, including potential for migration, adaptation, and acclimation, within the context of landscape habitat quality. The degree of exposure to climate change, estimated using bioclimatic models, can help to inform an understanding of whether vulnerability responses are sufficient for species resilience. Fifth, the paper draws conclusions based on its overview, highlighting the relevance of bioclimatic models to conservation, support received from observational data, and pointing the way towards mechanistic approaches that align with field-scale climate change experiments.
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Arnold PA, Nicotra AB, Kruuk LEB. Sparse evidence for selection on phenotypic plasticity in response to temperature. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180185. [PMID: 30966967 PMCID: PMC6365867 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is frequently assumed to be an adaptive mechanism by which organisms cope with rapid changes in their environment, such as shifts in temperature regimes owing to climate change. However, despite this adaptive assumption, the nature of selection on plasticity within populations is still poorly documented. Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of estimates of selection on thermal plasticity. Although there is a large literature on thermal plasticity, we found very few studies that estimated coefficients of selection on measures of plasticity. Those that did do not provide strong support for selection on plasticity, with the majority of estimates of directional selection on plasticity being weak and non-significant, and no evidence for selection on plasticity overall. Although further estimates are clearly needed before general conclusions can be drawn, at present there is not clear empirical support for any assumption that plasticity in response to temperature is under selection. We present a multivariate mixed model approach for robust estimation of selection on plasticity and demonstrate how it can be implemented. Finally, we highlight the need to consider the environments, traits and conditions under which plasticity is (or is not) likely to be under selection, if we are to understand phenotypic responses to rapid environmental change. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to rapid environmental change'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter A. Arnold
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, 2601Australia
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Bornman JF, Barnes PW, Robson TM, Robinson SA, Jansen MAK, Ballaré CL, Flint SD. Linkages between stratospheric ozone, UV radiation and climate change and their implications for terrestrial ecosystems. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2019; 18:681-716. [DOI: 10.1039/c8pp90061b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Linkages between stratospheric ozone, UV radiation and climate change: terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet F. Bornman
- College of Science
- Health
- Engineering and Education
- Murdoch University
- Perth
| | - Paul W. Barnes
- Department of Biological Sciences and Environment Program
- Loyola University
- USA
| | - T. Matthew Robson
- Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology
- Viikki Plant Science Centre
- University of Helsinki
- Finland
| | - Sharon A. Robinson
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions
- School of Earth
- Atmosphere and Life Sciences and Global Challenges Program
- University of Wollongong
- Wollongong
| | - Marcel A. K. Jansen
- Plant Ecophysiology Group
- School of Biological
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- UCC
- Cork
| | - Carlos L. Ballaré
- University of Buenos Aires
- Faculty of Agronomy and IFEVA-CONICET, and IIB
- National University of San Martin
- Buenos Aires
- Argentina
| | - Stephan D. Flint
- Department of Forest
- Rangeland and Fire Sciences
- University of Idaho
- Moscow
- USA
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Romaniuk K, Golec P, Dziewit L. Insight Into the Diversity and Possible Role of Plasmids in the Adaptation of Psychrotolerant and Metalotolerant Arthrobacter spp. to Extreme Antarctic Environments. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:3144. [PMID: 30619210 PMCID: PMC6305408 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthrobacter spp. are coryneform Gram-positive aerobic bacteria, belonging to the class Actinobacteria. Representatives of this genus have mainly been isolated from soil, mud, sludge or sewage, and are usually mesophiles. In recent years, the presence of Arthrobacter spp. was also confirmed in various extreme, including permanently cold, environments. In this study, 36 psychrotolerant and metalotolerant Arthrobacter strains isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil from the King George Island (Antarctica), were screened for the presence of plasmids. The identified replicons were thoroughly characterized in order to assess their diversity and role in the adaptation of Arthrobacter spp. to harsh Antarctic conditions. The screening process identified 11 different plasmids, ranging in size from 8.4 to 90.6 kb. A thorough genomic analysis of these replicons detected the presence of numerous genes encoding proteins that potentially perform roles in adaptive processes such as (i) protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation, (ii) resistance to heavy metals, (iii) transport and metabolism of organic compounds, (iv) sulfur metabolism, and (v) protection against exogenous DNA. Moreover, 10 of the plasmids carry genetic modules enabling conjugal transfer, which may facilitate their spread among bacteria in Antarctic soil. In addition, transposable elements were identified within the analyzed plasmids. Some of these elements carry passenger genes, which suggests that these replicons may be actively changing, and novel genetic modules of adaptive value could be acquired by transposition events. A comparative genomic analysis of plasmids identified in this study and other available Arthrobacter plasmids was performed. This showed only limited similarities between plasmids of Antarctic Arthrobacter strains and replicons of other, mostly mesophilic, isolates. This indicates that the plasmids identified in this study are novel and unique replicons. In addition, a thorough meta-analysis of 247 plasmids of psychrotolerant bacteria was performed, revealing the important role of these replicons in the adaptation of their hosts to extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Romaniuk
- Department of Bacterial Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Golec
- Department of Bacterial Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lukasz Dziewit
- Department of Bacterial Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Benavent-González A, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Fernández-Brun L, Singh BK, Maestre FT, Sancho LG. Identity of plant, lichen and moss species connects with microbial abundance and soil functioning in Maritime Antarctica. PLANT AND SOIL 2018; 429:35-52. [PMID: 30078912 PMCID: PMC6071914 DOI: 10.1007/s11104-018-3721-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS We lack studies evaluating how the identity of plant, lichen and moss species relates to microbial abundance and soil functioning on Antarctica. If species identity is associated with soil functioning, distributional changes of key species, linked to climate change, could significantly affect Antarctic soil functioning. METHODS We evaluated how the identity of six Antarctic plant, lichen and moss species relates to a range of soil attributes (C, N and P cycling), microbial abundance and structure in Livingston Island, Maritime Antarctica. We used an effect size metric to predict the association between species (vs. bare soil) and the measured soil attributes. RESULTS We observed species-specific effects of the plant and biocrust species on soil attributes and microbial abundance. Phenols, phosphatase and β-D-cellobiosidase activities were the most important attributes characterizing the observed patterns. We found that the evaluated species positively correlated with soil nutrient availability and microbial abundance vs. bare soil. CONCLUSIONS We provide evidence, from a comparative study, that plant and biocrust identity is associated with different levels of soil functioning and microbial abundance in Maritime Antarctica. Our results suggest that changes in the spatial distribution of these species linked to climate change could potentially entail changes in the functioning of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Benavent-González
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. USA
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Laura Fernández-Brun
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Brajesh K. Singh
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith 2751 NSW Australia
- Global Centre for Land Based Innovation, University of Western Sydney, Building L9, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - Fernando T. Maestre
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Leopoldo G. Sancho
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Vančurová L, Muggia L, Peksa O, Řídká T, Škaloud P. The complexity of symbiotic interactions influences the ecological amplitude of the host: A case study in Stereocaulon (lichenized Ascomycota). Mol Ecol 2018; 27:3016-3033. [PMID: 29900606 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Symbiosis plays a fundamental role in nature. Lichens are among the best known, globally distributed symbiotic systems whose ecology is shaped by the requirements of all symbionts forming the holobiont. The widespread lichen-forming fungal genus Stereocaulon provides a suitable model to study the ecology of microscopic green algal symbionts (i.e., phycobionts) within the lichen symbiosis. We analysed 282 Stereocaulon specimens, collected in diverse habitats worldwide, using the algal ITS rDNA and actin gene sequences and fungal ITS rDNA sequences. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a great diversity among the predominant phycobionts. The algal genus Asterochloris (Trebouxiophyceae) was recovered in most sampled thalli, but two additional genera, Vulcanochloris and Chloroidium, were also found. We used variation-partitioning analyses to investigate the effects of climatic conditions, substrate/habitat characteristic, spatial distribution and mycobionts on phycobiont distribution. Based on an analogy, we examined the effects of climate, substrate/habitat, spatial distribution and phycobionts on mycobiont distribution. According to our analyses, the distribution of phycobionts is primarily driven by mycobionts and vice versa. Specificity and selectivity of both partners, as well as their ecological requirements and the width of their niches, vary significantly among the species-level lineages. We demonstrated that species-level lineages, which accept more symbiotic partners, have wider climatic niches, overlapping with the niches of their partners. Furthermore, the survival of lichens on substrates with high concentrations of heavy metals appears to be supported by their association with toxicity-tolerant phycobionts. In general, low specificity towards phycobionts allows the host to associate with ecologically diversified algae, thereby broadening its ecological amplitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Vančurová
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Lucia Muggia
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Ondřej Peksa
- The West Bohemian Museum in Pilsen, Plzeň, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Řídká
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Škaloud
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic
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