2013
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066207
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A Low Temperature Limit for Life on Earth

Abstract: There is no generally accepted value for the lower temperature limit for life on Earth. We present empirical evidence that free-living microbial cells cooling in the presence of external ice will undergo freeze-induced desiccation and a glass transition (vitrification) at a temperature between −10°C and −26°C. In contrast to intracellular freezing, vitrification does not result in death and cells may survive very low temperatures once vitrified. The high internal viscosity following vitrification means that di… Show more

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Cited by 139 publications
(110 citation statements)
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“…Currently identified upper thermal limits for growth are 122°C for archaeans, 100°C for bacteria and *60°C for unicellular eukaryotes. No unicells appear to grow below −20°C, a limit that is probably set by dehydration-linked vitrification of the cell interior driven by freeze-concentration in the presence of extracellular ice (Clarke et al 2013).…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
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“…Currently identified upper thermal limits for growth are 122°C for archaeans, 100°C for bacteria and *60°C for unicellular eukaryotes. No unicells appear to grow below −20°C, a limit that is probably set by dehydration-linked vitrification of the cell interior driven by freeze-concentration in the presence of extracellular ice (Clarke et al 2013).…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…For example in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae intracellular ice formation requires cooling rates faster than 20 K min − 1 (Seki et al 2009). Atmospheric cooling rates in the environment rarely exceed 1 K min − 1 (Clarke et al 2013), but some specialized habitats such as rock or leaf surfaces can change temperature more rapidly (Strimbeck et al 1993). Freezing of extracellular fluids does, however, occur in some multicellular plants and animals living in seasonally cold climates (Schmid 1982;Leather et al 1993;Pearce 2004).…”
Section: The Physiological Challenge Of Low Temperaturementioning
confidence: 99%
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“…Many of the limits are also caused by the detrimental influence of physical and chemical extremes on the capacity for cell metabolism, which may itself entail damage to macromolecules. For example, the lower limit for life may be defined by the temperature at which cytosol vitrification occurs, limiting cell activity (Clarke et al 2013). Ultimately the extremes of life are defined by the conditions under which the organisms can no longer harvest sufficient energy to repair or overcome the detrimental effects of stress and background mutation (Hoehler et al 2007).…”
Section: What Are the Limits?mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The responses of B. antarctica in this regard have been particularly well studied. Larvae accumulate glycerol and trehalose, which are suggested as being replacements for lost water and/or an aid to the production of amorphous sugar glasses (Danks 2000;Benoit, LopezMartinez et al 2007;Michaud et al 2008;Bahrndorff et al 2009;Benoit et al 2009;Hengherr et al 2009;Clarke et al 2013). Protein denaturation is also ameliorated via the up-regulation of HSPs in response to desiccation Teets et al 2012), and the fluidity of the membrane maintained using enzymes such as D9 FAD desaturase (LopezMartinez et al 2009).…”
Section: Desiccation Tolerancementioning
confidence: 99%