Confocal Raman microspectroscopy reveals a convergence of the chemical composition in methanogenic archaea from a Siberian permafrost-affected soil.
Methanogenic archaea are widespread anaerobic microorganisms responsible for the production of biogenic methane. Several new species of psychrotolerant methanogenic archaea were recently isolated from a permafrost-affected soil in the Lena Delta (Siberia, Russia), showing an exceptional resistance against desiccation, osmotic stress, low temperatures, starvation, UV and ionizing radiation when compared to methanogens from non-permafrost environments. To gain a deeper insight into the differences observed in their resistance, we described the chemical composition of methanogenic strains from permafrost and non-permafrost environments using confocal Raman microspectroscopy (CRM). CRM is a powerful tool for microbial identification and provides fingerprint-like information about the chemical composition of the cells. Our results show that the chemical composition of methanogens from permafrost-affected soils presents a high homology and is remarkably different from strains inhabiting non-permafrost environments. In addition, we performed a phylogenetic reconstruction of the studied strains based on the functional gene mcrA to prove the different evolutionary relationship of the permafrost strains. We conclude that the permafrost methanogenic strains show a convergent chemical composition regardless of their genotype. This fact is likely to be the consequence of a complex adaptive process to the Siberian permafrost environment and might be the reason underlying their resistant nature.
GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section Geomicrobiology, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Telegrafenberg A45 14473 Potsdam, Germany.
Paloma
P
Serrano
Robert Koch Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Nordufer 20 13353 Berlin, Germany.
Antje
A
Hermelink
Robert Koch Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Nordufer 20 13353 Berlin, Germany.
Peter
P
Lasch
German Aerospace Center (DLR) Berlin, Institute of Planetary Research, Rutherfordstraße 2 12489 Berlin, Germany.
Jean-Pierre
JP
de Vera
Robert Koch Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Nordufer 20 13353 Berlin, Germany.
Nicole
N
König
GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section Geomicrobiology, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany.
Oliver
O
Burckhardt
GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section Geomicrobiology, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany Dirk.Wagner@gfz-potsdam.de.
Dirk
D
Wagner
D003080:Cold Temperature; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes / Q000235:genetics*; D003890:Desiccation; D019605:Euryarchaeota / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008697:Methane / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D058889:Molecular Typing; D009997:Osmotic Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D065946:Permafrost / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011836:Radiation Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D012800:Siberia; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; C060629:endodeoxyribonuclease McrA; D008697:Methane
Siberian permafrost; chemical composition; confocal Raman microspectroscopy; environmental adaptations; mcrA; methanogenic archaea