Tolerance of the widespread cyanobacterium Nostoc commune to extreme temperature variations (−269 to 105°C), pH and salt stress

Sand‐Jensen, Kaj; Jespersen, Thomas Sand

doi:10.1007/s00442-011-2200-0

Cited by 44 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The brine treatment showed that only a fraction of 4% of the heterotrophs can grow under highly saline conditions. This is in agreement with the moderate tolerance of the biofilm forming host to NaCl resulting in an inhibition of photosynthesis at a concentration of 0.2 M or 30 g kg −1 (0.51 M) (Sakamoto et al 2009;Sand-Jensen & Jespersen 2012).…”

Section: Recultivation Of Heterotrophic Bacteria From N Commune Samplessupporting

confidence: 86%

Provision of water by halite deliquescence forNostoc communebiofilms under Mars relevant surface conditions

Jänchen

Feyh

Szewzyk

et al. 2015

International Journal of Astrobiology

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Motivated by findings of new mineral related water sources for organisms under extremely dry conditions on Earth we studied in an interdisciplinary approach the water sorption behaviour of halite, soil component and terrestrial Nostoc commune biofilm under Mars relevant environmental conditions. Physicochemical methods served for the determination of water sorption equilibrium data and survival of heterotrophic bacteria in biofilm samples with different water contents was assured by recultivation. Deliquescence of halite provides liquid water at temperatures <273 K and may serve as water source on Mars during the morning stabilized by the CO 2 atmosphere for a few hours. The protecting biofilm of N. commune is rather hygroscopic and tends to store water at lower humidity values. Survival tests showed that a large proportion of the Alphaproteobacteria dominated microbiota associated to N. commune is very desiccation tolerant and water uptake from saturated NaCl solutions (either by direct uptake of brine or adsorption of humidity) did not enhance recultivability in long-time desiccated samples. Still, a minor part can grow under highly saline conditions. However, the salinity level, although unfavourable for the host organism, might be for parts of the heterotrophic microbiota no serious hindrance for growing in salty Mars-like environments.

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Section: Recultivation Of Heterotrophic Bacteria From N Commune Samplessupporting

confidence: 86%

Provision of water by halite deliquescence forNostoc communebiofilms under Mars relevant surface conditions

Jänchen

Feyh

Szewzyk

et al. 2015

International Journal of Astrobiology

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“…The precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year (monthly mean range 32–54 mm), but temperature variations lead to large differences in evapotranspiration and water availability (SMHI ). In April through August 2010, surface temperature on the exposed limestone pavements exceeded 40 °C on 37 d (21%) and reached a maximum of 50 °C on 2 d in July (Sand‐Jensen & Jespersen ). Thus the area has extreme gradients in water availability between water‐filled ponds and exposed limestone pavements with millimetre‐thin layers of dust (Sand‐Jensen et al.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

From soaking wet to bone dry: predicting plant community composition along a steep hydrological gradient

Baastrup‐Spohr

Sand‐Jensen

Nicolajsen

et al. 2015

J Vegetation Science

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Question Why do plants grow where they grow? Prediction of species' occurrence and abundance in relation to the environment is a core aim of ecology, as is understanding the link between environmental stressors and adaptive traits. Community assembly may be viewed as a sequence of filters, sorting species according to their functional traits. We ask if the strength of filtering changes along a strong hydrological gradient? Can we predict species′ relative abundance using few, but biologically relevant traits? And are strongly filtered traits better predictors of community assembly? Location A hydrological gradient from pond to dry limestone pavements on the Island of Öland, South Sweden. Methods Plant community composition and six morpho‐physiogical plant traits were measured along a pronounced gradient in water supply and soil depth. The strength of filtering was quantified using a trait dispersion index, while the prediction of species′ relative abundance and importance of individual traits was assessed with the community assembly by trait selection (CATS) model. Results We show that species are filtered by the hydrological environment through the traits root porosity, specific leaf area and resistance to water loss on drying. For individual traits, the strength of filtering waxes and wanes along the gradient. This strongly suggests that the mechanism, through which species are filtered into communities, acts through different traits as environmental conditions change along the gradient. The CATS model predicted 66% of the variation in species' relative abundances using six traits. In general, the traits subject to filtering also were most important in predicting species abundance. Conclusions Few plant traits are exposed to environmental filtering across the entire hydrological gradient, and most traits are strongly filtered only in parts of the gradient (e.g. root porosity in wet soils and water loss on drying on thin dry soils). Evidence for congruence between trait dispersion indices and the CATS model was established, underpinning the importance to plant community assembly of environmental filtering of species through their traits. New functional traits relevant to a specific environmental gradient – and not just some standard traits from a public database – can contribute significantly to resolve how plant communities are assembled.

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“…, Sakamoto et al. , Sand‐Jensen and Jespersen ). It has long been observed that sucrose‐only strains have a more restricted (low) salinity range compared to marine strains that synthesize GG or GB (Reed and Stewart ).…”

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confidence: 97%

Phylogenetic distribution of compatible solute synthesis genes support a freshwater origin for cyanobacteria

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2013

Journal of Phycology

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Previous work using ancestral state reconstruction of habitat salinity preference proposed that the early cyanobacteria likely lived in a freshwater environment. The aim of this study was to test that hypothesis by performing phylogenetic analyses of the genes underlying salinity preferences in the cyanobacteria. Phylogenetic analysis of compatible solute genes shows that sucrose synthesis genes were likely ancestral in the cyanobacteria, and were also likely inherited during the cyanobacterial endosymbiosis and into the photosynthetic algae and land plants. In addition, the genes for the synthesis of compatible solutes that are necessary for survival in marine and hypersaline environments (such as glucosylglycerol, glucosylglycerate, and glycine betaine) were likely acquired independently high up (i.e., more recently) in the cyanobacterial tree. Because sucrose synthesis is strongly associated with growth in a low salinity environment, this independently supports a freshwater origin for the cyanobacteria. It is also consistent with geologic evidence showing that the early oceans were much warmer and saltier than modern oceans-sucrose synthesis alone would have been insufficient for early cyanobacteria to have colonized early Precambrian oceans that had a higher ionic strength. Indeed, the acquisition of an expanded set of new compatible solute genes may have enabled the historical colonization of marine and hypersaline environments by cyanobacteria, midway through their evolutionary history.

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Tolerance of the widespread cyanobacterium Nostoc commune to extreme temperature variations (−269 to 105°C), pH and salt stress

Cited by 44 publications

References 30 publications

Provision of water by halite deliquescence forNostoc communebiofilms under Mars relevant surface conditions

Provision of water by halite deliquescence forNostoc communebiofilms under Mars relevant surface conditions

From soaking wet to bone dry: predicting plant community composition along a steep hydrological gradient

Phylogenetic distribution of compatible solute synthesis genes support a freshwater origin for cyanobacteria

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