| Title | Environmental Adaptation of Psychrophilic Bacteria Subtercola spp. Isolated from Various Cryospheric Habitats |
|---|---|
| Author | Hanbyul Lee1†, Yong‑Joon Cho1,2†, Ahnna Cho1, and Ok‑Sun Kim1* |
| Address | 1Division of Polar Life Science, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon 21990, Republic of Korea, 2Department of Molecular Bioscience, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 61(7),663-672, 2023, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-023-00068-y |
| Key Words | Adaptation · Psychrophile Subtercola spp. · Ecotype · Comparative genomics · Transcriptome · Cryosphere |
| Abstract | Subtercola boreus K300T is a novel psychrophilic strain that was isolated from permanently cold groundwater in Finland and has also been found in several places in Antarctica including lake, soil, and rocks. We performed genomic and transcriptomic analyses of 5 strains from Antarctica and a type strain to understand their adaptation to different environments. Interestingly, the isolates from rocks showed a low growth rate and smaller genome size than strains from the other isolation sources (lake, soil, and groundwater). Based on these habitat-dependent characteristics, the strains could be classified into two ecotypes, which showed differences in energy production, signal transduction, and transcription in the clusters of orthologous groups of proteins (COGs) functional category. In addition, expression pattern changes revealed differences in metabolic processes, including uric acid metabolism, DNA repair, major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporters, and xylose degradation, depending on the nutritional status of their habitats. These findings provide crucial insights into the environmental adaptation of bacteria, highlighting genetic diversity and regulatory mechanisms that enable them to thrive in the cryosphere. |