Natural and technogenic focality of infectious diseases in Antarctic settlements

Panin, A. L.; Сбойчаков, В. Б.; Belov, A. B.; Краева, Л. А.; Vlasov, Dmitry Yu.; Гончаров, А. Е.

doi:10.1134/s2079086416040034

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Even though anthropogenic influence on the abundance and diversity of fungal species at low temperatures is still scarce [65], some studies have indicated that anthropogenic action in the polar region can change the fungal species composition and lead to the propagation of eurytopic species at low temperature [71] including opportunistic pathogens and degraders [72]. In addition, many fungi associated with points near the glacier were mostly saprophytic, and the most distant points showed dominance of cosmopolitan fungi.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungal Community in Antarctic Soil Along the Retreating Collins Glacier (Fildes Peninsula, King George Island)

2020

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Glacial retreat is one of the most conspicuous signs of warming in Antarctic regions. Glacier soils harbor an active microbial community of decomposers, and under the continuous retraction of glaciers, the soil starts to present a gradient of physical, chemical, and biological factors reflecting regional changes over time. Little is known about the biological nature of fungi in Antarctic glacier soils. In this sense, this work aimed at studying the behavior of fungal community structure from samples of glacier soil collected after glacial retreat (Collins Glacier). A total of 309 fungi distributed in 19 genera were obtained from eleven soil samples. Representatives of the genera Pseudogymnoascus (Ascomycota) and Mortierella (Mortierellomycota) were the most abundant isolates in all samples. The data revealed the presence of filamentous fungi belonging to the phylum Basidiomycota, rarely found in Antarctica. Analysis of the generalized linear models revealed that the distance from the glacier as well as phosphorus and clay were able to modify the distribution of fungal species. Environmental variations proved to have influenced the genera Pseudogymnoascus and Pseudeutorium.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungal Community in Antarctic Soil Along the Retreating Collins Glacier (Fildes Peninsula, King George Island)

2020

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“…Штамм Serratia liquefaciens 72 выделен в 2011 г. в ходе 56-й Российской Антарктической экспедиции из образца гуано колонии пингвинов Адели (Pygoscelis adeliae), обнаруженной на острове Токарева (архипелаг Хасуэлл, Восточная Ан тарктида, 66°51′00.0′′S 93°00′00.0′′E) [2].…”

Section: материалы и методыunclassified

Assessing <i>Serratia</i> spp. pathogenic potential from cryogenic habitats

Гончаров

Solomennyi

Panin

et al. 2021

Russian Journal of Infection and Immunity

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The genus Serratia are opportunistic bacteria widely spread in natural environment. At the same time, this bacterial genus consists of the species associated with outbreaks of nosocomial infections. Serratia species are found in extreme habitats, but pathogenic potential of polyextremophilic strains in this genus remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to compare the genomes of two Serratia strains isolated in polar regions, primarily examining genetic factors of virulence and adaptation to cryogenic environment. During the 56th Russian Antarctic Expedition the Serratia liquefaciens 72 strain was isolated from a guano sample of the Adelie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) colony on Tokarev Island (Haswell Archipelago, East Antarctica). The Serratia fonticola 5l strain was isolated from the frozen carcass of moose (Alces alces) fossils found on the Buor-Khaya Peninsula near the Laptev Sea coast (Yakutia Region, Russia). The whole-genome sequencing of such strains allowed to reveal genetic structures evidencing about their successful adaptation to low temperatures. Thus, it was found that both genomes contain genes encoding the main cold shock proteins, phylogenetically close to the corresponding genes in the hypobarotolerant Serratia liquefaciens strain ATCC 27592. Furthermore, both strains bear a cluster of tc-fABCD genes determining the bacterial adhesion to epithelial tissues, and the genes for RTX toxins — adhesins, crucial factors of biofilm formation in pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. Experimental studies confirmed the ability of Serratia liquefaciens 72 and Serratia fonticola 5l to actively form biofilms in a wide temperature range (from 6°C to 37°C). The results obtained indicate that the examined genus Serratia strains isolated in Arctica and Antarctica exert overall similar adaptation strategies to polar climate, including the ability to produce pili, show active adhesion, and biofilm formation under low temperatures. Genetic adaptive factors may also act as pathogenicity factors allowing extremotolerant Serratia strains to exert traits of opportunistic and nosocomial pathogens and spread via chilled food-borne transmission. The wide use of food technologies, such as cooling and vacuum sealing, can potentially create a new ecological niche favourable for selection of psychrotolerant and hypobarotolerant pathogens. The data obtained allow to raise a question about necessity of further studies to monitor genetic diversity among psychrophilic hypobarotolerant microbial populations possessing pathogenic and epidemic potential.

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