Interactions of Fungi and Algae from the Greenland Ice Sheet

Abstract

Heavily pigmented glacier ice algae Ancylonema nordenskiöldii and Ancylonema alaskanum (Zygnematophyceae, Streptophyta) reduce the bare ice albedo of the Greenland Ice Sheet, amplifying melt from the largest cryospheric contributor to eustatic sea-level rise. Little information is available about glacier ice algae interactions with other microbial communities within the surface ice environment, including fungi, which may be important for sustaining algal bloom development. To address this substantial knowledge gap and investigate the nature of algal-fungal interactions, an ex situ co-cultivation experiment with two species of fungi, recently isolated from the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet (here proposed new species Penicillium anthracinoglaciei Perini, Frisvad and Zalar, Mycobank (MB 835602), and Articulospora sp.), and the mixed microbial community dominated by glacier ice algae was performed. The utilization of the dark pigment purpurogallin carboxylic acid-6-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (C18H18O12) by the two fungi was also evaluated in a separate experiment. P. anthracinoglaciei was capable of utilizing and converting the pigment to purpurogallin carboxylic acid, possibly using the sugar moiety as a nutrient source. Furthermore, after 3 weeks of incubation in the presence of P. anthracinoglaciei, a significantly slower decline in the maximum quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm, inverse proxy of algal stress) in glacier ice algae, compared to other treatments, was evident, suggesting a positive relationship between these species. Articulospora sp. did uptake the glycosylated purpurogallin, but did not seem to be involved in its conversion to aglycone derivative. At the end of the incubation experiments and, in conjunction with increased algal mortality, we detected a substantially increasing presence of the zoosporic fungi Chytridiomycota suggesting an important role for them as decomposers or parasites of glacier ice algae.

The first cultivation of the glacier ice alga Ancylonema alaskanum (Zygnematophyceae, Streptophyta): differences in morphology and photophysiology of field vs laboratory strain cells

“…In the field, many yeast-like cells were observed by means of LM (data not shown). It is well known that glacial surfaces harbour mycobionts, some of them interacting with microalgae (Perini and others, 2022). In producing the strain, the undesirable fungal growth was inhibited with the fungicide benomyl, which did apparently not harm the glacier algae.…”

Additions to the Knowledge of the Fungal Order Eurotiales in Korea: Eight Undescribed Species

“…Notes : Compared with the ex-type strain of P. anthracinoglaciei , our strain grew faster on CYA (28–30 mm vs. 13–20 mm) [ 50 ].…”

“…Penicillium anthracinoglaciei acts as decomposers or parasites of glacier ice algae by utilizing and converting the pigment purpurogallin carboxylic acid-6-O-β- d -glucopyranoside into purpurogallin carboxylic acid [ 50 ]. The species was isolated from the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet [ 50 ] and from dead bee in rainwater in this study.…”

“…Penicillium anthracinoglaciei acts as decomposers or parasites of glacier ice algae by utilizing and converting the pigment purpurogallin carboxylic acid-6-O-β- d -glucopyranoside into purpurogallin carboxylic acid [ 50 ]. The species was isolated from the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet [ 50 ] and from dead bee in rainwater in this study. Penicillium labradorum isolated from a Labrador Retriever with disseminated fungal disease shows some clinical signs, including lethargy, lymphadenopathy, tachypnea, moderate pitting edema, and non-weight bearing lameness in the right hind limb [ 39 ].…”

The exometabolome of microbial communities inhabiting bare ice surfaces on the southern Greenland Ice Sheet

“…Previous work has demonstrated that the availability of liquid water, light, and nutrients is essential for the development of these darkening algal blooms (Anesio et al, 2017; Holland et al, 2019; McCutcheon et al, 2021). In addition, it has been suggested that parasitic infections of glacier ice algae may limit the continued expansion of algal blooms as the melt season progresses (Perini et al, 2023). However, a metabolome‐level understanding of microbial blooms on bare ice surfaces is currently lacking.…”