title: Viability of endolithic micro-organisms in rocks from the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica established by confocal and fluorescence microscopy.
abstract: The rocks of the McMurdo Dry Valleys desert in Antarctica harbour endolithic communities of micro-organisms such as lichens, fungi, cyanobacteria and bacteria. Establishing the physiological status and viability of these microbial colonies in their natural microhabitat has far-reaching implications for understanding the microbial ecology of the harsh environment of this polar desert. Here we describe the use of confocal microscopy and a specific fluorescent probe (FUN-1) to evaluate the metabolic activity of fungal cells. Application of confocal microscopy also served to identify living and dead bacteria or cyanobacteria using the fluorescent assay reagents Live/Dead SYTO 9 and propidium iodide or SYTOX Green, respectively. In addition, through the use of epifluorescence microscopy, live/dead bacteria and cyanobacteria could be detected by estimating fluorescence from their cell components provoked by simultaneously staining with nucleic acids stains such as DAPI and SYTOX Green.
authors.affiliation: Servei de Microscòpia Electrònica, Universitat de Lleida, c/Rovira Roure, 44, 25198 Lleida, Spain. jacekw@suic-me.udl.es
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wierzchos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Los Ríos
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Sancho
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ascaso
mesh_terms: D000864:Antarctic Regions; D003081:Cold Climate; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004463:Ecology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes