title: What distinguishes cyanobacteria able to revive after desiccation from those that cannot: the genome aspect.
abstract: Filamentous cyanobacteria are the main founders and primary producers in biological desert soil crusts (BSCs) and are likely equipped to cope with one of the harshest environmental conditions on earth including daily hydration/dehydration cycles, high irradiance and extreme temperatures. Here, we resolved and report on the genome sequence of Leptolyngbya ohadii, an important constituent of the BSC. Comparative genomics identified a set of genes present in desiccation-tolerant but not in dehydration-sensitive cyanobacteria. RT qPCR analyses showed that the transcript abundance of many of them is upregulated during desiccation in L. ohadii. In addition, we identified genes where the orthologs detected in desiccation-tolerant cyanobacteria differs substantially from that found in desiccation-sensitive cells. We present two examples, treS and fbpA (encoding trehalose synthase and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase respectively) where, in addition to the orthologs present in the desiccation-sensitive strains, the resistant cyanobacteria also possess genes with different predicted structures. We show that in both cases the two orthologs are transcribed during controlled dehydration of L. ohadii and discuss the genetic basis for the acclimation of cyanobacteria to the desiccation conditions in desert BSC.
authors: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel.
authors: Omer
authors: O
authors: Murik
authors: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel.
authors: Nadav
authors: N
authors: Oren
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, Shamoon College of Engineering, Beer Sheva, 84100, Israel.
authors: Yoram
authors: Y
authors: Shotland
authors: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel.
authors: Hagai
authors: H
authors: Raanan
authors: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel.
authors: Haim
authors: H
authors: Treves
authors: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel.
authors: Isaac
authors: I
authors: Kedem
authors: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel.
authors: Nir
authors: N
authors: Keren
authors: Institut für Biowissenschaften, Abteilung Pflanzenphysiologie, Universität Rostock, A.-Einstein-Str. 3, Rostock, D-18059, Germany.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Hagemann
authors: Institut für Biowissenschaften, Abteilung Pflanzenphysiologie, Universität Rostock, A.-Einstein-Str. 3, Rostock, D-18059, Germany.
authors: Nadin
authors: N
authors: Pade
authors: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel.
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D003681:Dehydration; D003889:Desert Climate; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D010788:Photosynthesis; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014867:Water