Viable Halobacteria from Ancient Oceans—and in Outer Space?

Stan‐Lotter, Helga; Radax, Christian; Leuko, Stefan; Legat, Andrea; Gruber, Claudia; Pfaffenhuemer, M.; Wieland, H.; Weidler, Gerhard

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-1003-0_43

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The main difference between 'no-survival' and the above mentioned three 'high survival' locations are that the samples from these 'good locations' were characterized in all of these cases by as dry salty desert regions, with low humidity and good salt tolerance. It is known that the adaptation for salty environment on Earth (Todd & Irwin (2000) helps to preserve cells and to maintain their survival capacity (Krumbein et al 2004;Stan-Lotter et al 2004;Baxter et al 2007). This would be one of the main important factors which might allow resisting to all of the main environmental factors we might encounter on Mars (as there are: low temperatures, low gas pressure and dryness).…”

Section: Survival Of Various Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Results on the survival of cryptobiotic cyanobacteria samples after exposure to Mars-like environmental conditions

Vera

Dulai

Keresztúri³

et al. 2013

International Journal of Astrobiology

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Tests on cyanobacteria communities embedded in cryptobiotic crusts collected in hot and cold deserts on Earth were performed under Mars-like conditions. The simulations were realized as a survey, to find the best samples for future research. During the tests organisms have to resist Mars-like conditions such as atmospheric composition, pressure, variable humidity (saturated and dry conditions) and partly strong UV irradiation. Organisms were tested within their original habitat inside the crust. Nearly half of the cryptobiotic samples from various sites showed survival of a substantial part of their coexisting organisms. The survival in general depended more on the nature of the original habitat and type of the sample than on the different conditions they were exposed to. The best survival was observed in samples from United Arab Emirates (Jebel Ali, 25 km SW of Dubai town) and from Western Australia (near the South edge of Lake Barley), by taxa: Tolypothrix byssoidea, Gloeocapsopsis pleurocapsoides, Nostoc microscopicum, Leptolyngbya or Symploca sp. At both places in salty desert areas members of the Chenopodiaceae family dominated among the higher plants and in the cryptobiotic crust cyanobacterial taxa Tolypothrix was dominant. These organisms were all living in salty locations with dry conditions most of the year. Among them Tolypothrix, Gloeocapsopsis and Symploca sp. were tested in Mars simulation chambers for the first time. The results suggest that extremophiles should be tested with taken into account the context of their original microenvironment, and also the importance to analyse communities of microbes beside single organisms.

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Section: Survival Of Various Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Results on the survival of cryptobiotic cyanobacteria samples after exposure to Mars-like environmental conditions

Vera

Dulai

Keresztúri³

et al. 2013

International Journal of Astrobiology

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“…Several species were isolated from underground salt deposits. One such isolate is H. dombrowskii, obtained from Permian salt from an Austrian salt mine and named in honour of Heinz Dombrowski who pioneered isolation of microorganisms from ancient material such as salt deposits in the 1960s [49]. Other examples are Halococcus salifodinae, also from Permian rock salt in Austria, and Halosimplex carlsbadense from Permian salt in New Mexico.…”

Section: (C) Longevity Of Dormant Cells Of Halobacteriaceae Entrappedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Halophilic archaea on Earth and in space: growth and survival under extreme conditions

Oren¹

2014

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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Salts are abundant on Mars, and any liquid water that is present or may have been present on the planet is expected to be hypersaline. Halophilic archaea (family Halobacteriaceae) are the microorganisms best adapted to life at extremes of salinity on Earth. This paper reviews the properties of the Halobacteriaceae that may make the group good candidates for life also on Mars. Many species resist high UV and gamma radiation levels; one species has survived exposure to vacuum and radiation during a space flight; and there is at least one psychrotolerant species. Halophilic archaea may survive for millions of years within brine inclusions in salt crystals. Many species have different modes of anaerobic metabolism, and some can use light as an energy source using the light-driven proton pump bacteriorhodopsin. They are also highly tolerant to perchlorate, recently shown to be present in Martian soils, and some species can even use perchlorate as an electron acceptor to support anaerobic growth. The presence of characteristic carotenoid pigments ( α -bacterioruberin and derivatives) makes the Halobacteriaceae easy to identify by Raman spectroscopy. Thus, if present on Mars, such organisms may be detected by Raman instrumentation planned to explore Mars during the upcoming ExoMars mission.

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Viable Halobacteria from Ancient Oceans—and in Outer Space?

Cited by 2 publications

References 11 publications

Results on the survival of cryptobiotic cyanobacteria samples after exposure to Mars-like environmental conditions

Results on the survival of cryptobiotic cyanobacteria samples after exposure to Mars-like environmental conditions

Halophilic archaea on Earth and in space: growth and survival under extreme conditions

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