Astrovirology: how viruses enhance our understanding of life in the Universe

Trubl, Gareth; Stedman, Kenneth M.; Bywaters, Kathryn; Matula, Emily E.; Sommers, Pacifica; Roux, Simon; Nancy, Merino,; Yin, John; Kaelber, Jason T.; Avila-Herrera, Aram; Johnson, Peter Anto; Johnson, John C.; Borges, Schuyler R.; Weber, P. K.; Pett‐Ridge, Jennifer; Boston, Penelope J.

doi:10.1017/s1473550423000058

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 193 publications

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“…The risk of man-made species transmission is known [233] and has for instance led to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks in Antarctica [234], but comprehensive investigations about the effects on phage dispersal are missing to date. Since the study of phage dispersal across the Antarctic continent as a typical extraterrestrial analogue has important implications for space exploration, forward Phages in polar ecosystems 31 contamination, and planetary protection measures [61] and given the growing field of astrovirology (reviewed by Trubl et al [235],de la Higuera, Lazaro [236]), more work in this direction can be expected in the future.…”

Section: Dispersal Of Viruses To and From The Polesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breaking the Ice: A Review of Phages in Polar Ecosystems

Heinrichs,

Piedade,

Popa

et al. 2023

Methods in Molecular Biology

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Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect and replicate within bacterial hosts, playing a significant role in regulating microbial populations and ecosystem dynamics. However, phages from extreme environments such as polar regions remain relatively understudied due to challenges like restricted ecosystem access and low biomass. Understanding the diversity, structure, and functions of polar phages is crucial for advancing our knowledge of the microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of these environments. In this review, we will explore the current state of knowledge on phages from the Arctic and Antarctic, focusing on insights gained from -omic studies, phage isolation, and virus-like particle abundance data. Metagenomic studies of polar environments have revealed a high diversity of phages with unique genetic characteristics, providing insights into their evolutionary and ecological roles. Phage isolation studies have identified novel phage-host interactions and contributed to the discovery of new phage species.Virus-like particle abundance and lysis rate data, on the other hand, have highlighted the importance of phages in regulating bacterial populations and nutrient cycling in polar environments. Overall, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge about polar phages, and by synthesizing these different sources of information, we can better understand the diversity, dynamics, and functions of polar phages in the context of ongoing climate change, which will help to predict how polar ecosystems and residing phages may respond to future environmental perturbations.

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Section: Dispersal Of Viruses To and From The Polesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breaking the Ice: A Review of Phages in Polar Ecosystems

Heinrichs,

Piedade,

Popa

et al. 2023

Methods in Molecular Biology

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Renaissance for magnetotactic bacteria in astrobiology

Shen,

Paterson,

Wang

et al. 2023

The ISME Journal

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Capable of forming magnetofossils similar to some magnetite nanocrystals observed in the Martian meteorite ALH84001, magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) once occupied a special position in the field of astrobiology during the 1990s and 2000s. This flourish of interest in putative Martian magnetofossils faded from all but the experts studying magnetosome formation, based on claims that abiotic processes could produce magnetosome-like magnetite crystals. Recently, the rapid growth in our knowledge of the extreme environments in which MTB thrive and their phylogenic heritage, leads us to advocate for a renaissance of MTB in astrobiology. In recent decades, magnetotactic members have been discovered alive in natural extreme environments with wide ranges of salinity (up to 90 g L−1), pH (1–10), and temperature (0–70 °C). Additionally, some MTB populations are found to be able to survive irradiated, desiccated, metal-rich, hypomagnetic, or microgravity conditions, and are capable of utilizing simple inorganic compounds such as sulfate and nitrate. Moreover, MTB likely emerged quite early in Earth’s history, coinciding with a period when the Martian surface was covered with liquid water as well as a strong magnetic field. MTB are commonly discovered in suboxic or oxic-anoxic interfaces in aquatic environments or sediments similar to ancient crater lakes on Mars, such as Gale crater and Jezero crater. Taken together, MTB can be exemplary model microorganisms in astrobiology research, and putative ancient Martian life, if it ever occurred, could plausibly have included magnetotactic microorganisms. Furthermore, we summarize multiple typical biosignatures that can be applied for the detection of ancient MTB on Earth and extraterrestrial MTB-like life. We suggest transporting MTB to space stations and simulation chambers to further investigate their tolerance potential and distinctive biosignatures to aid in understanding the evolutionary history of MTB and the potential of magnetofossils as an extraterrestrial biomarker.

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Breaking the Ice: A Review of Phages in Polar Ecosystems

Heinrichs¹,

Piedade²,

Popa³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect and replicate within bacterial hosts, playing a significant role in regulating microbial populations and ecosystem dynamics. However, phages from extreme environments such as polar regions remain relatively understudied due to challenges like restricted ecosystem access and low biomass. Understanding the diversity, structure, and functions of polar phages is crucial for advancing our knowledge of the microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of these environments. In this review, we will explore the current state of knowledge on phages from the Arctic and Antarctic, focusing on insights gained from -omic studies, phage isolation, and virus-like particle abundance data. Metagenomic studies of polar environments have revealed a high diversity of phages with unique genetic characteristics, providing insights into their evolutionary and ecological roles. Phage isolation studies have identified novel phage-host interactions and contributed to the discovery of new phage species. Virus-like particle abundance and lysis rate data, on the other hand, have highlighted the importance of phages in regulating bacterial populations and nutrient cycling in polar environments. Overall, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge about polar phages, and by synthesizing these different sources of information, we can better understand the diversity, dynamics, and functions of polar phages in the context of ongoing climate change, which will help to predict how polar ecosystems and residing phages may respond to future environmental perturbations.

show abstract

Astrovirology: how viruses enhance our understanding of life in the Universe

Cited by 3 publications

References 193 publications

Breaking the Ice: A Review of Phages in Polar Ecosystems

Breaking the Ice: A Review of Phages in Polar Ecosystems

Renaissance for magnetotactic bacteria in astrobiology

Breaking the Ice: A Review of Phages in Polar Ecosystems

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