The role of changing temperature in microbial metabolic processes during permafrost thaw.
Approximately one fourth of the Earth's Northern Hemisphere is underlain by permafrost, earth materials (soil, organic matter, or bedrock), that has been continuously frozen for at least two consecutive years. Numerous studies point to evidence of accelerated climate warming in the Arctic and s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232169 |
| _version_ | 1818582589135388672 |
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| author | Komi S Messan Robert M Jones Stacey J Doherty Karen Foley Thomas A Douglas Robyn A Barbato |
| author_facet | Komi S Messan Robert M Jones Stacey J Doherty Karen Foley Thomas A Douglas Robyn A Barbato |
| author_sort | Komi S Messan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Approximately one fourth of the Earth's Northern Hemisphere is underlain by permafrost, earth materials (soil, organic matter, or bedrock), that has been continuously frozen for at least two consecutive years. Numerous studies point to evidence of accelerated climate warming in the Arctic and sub-Arctic where permafrost is located. Changes to permafrost biochemical processes may critically impact ecosystem processes at the landscape scale. Here, we sought to understand how the permafrost metabolome responds to thaw and how this response differs based on location (i.e. chronosequence of permafrost formation constituting diverse permafrost types). We analyzed metabolites from microbial cells originating from Alaskan permafrost. Overall, permafrost thaw induced a shift in microbial metabolic processes. Of note were the dissimilarities in biochemical structure between frozen and thawed samples. The thawed permafrost metabolomes from different locations were highly similar. In the intact permafrost, several metabolites with antagonist properties were identified, illustrating the competitive survival strategy required to survive a frozen state. Interestingly, the intensity of these antagonistic metabolites decreased with warmer temperature, indicating a shift in ecological strategies in thawed permafrost. These findings illustrate the impact of change in temperature and spatial variability as permafrost undergoes thaw, knowledge that will become crucial for predicting permafrost biogeochemical dynamics as the Arctic and Antarctic landscapes continue to warm. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T07:51:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-83f621a75536409b80212f643c06bdfa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T07:51:47Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-83f621a75536409b80212f643c06bdfa2022-12-21T22:38:50ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-01154e023216910.1371/journal.pone.0232169The role of changing temperature in microbial metabolic processes during permafrost thaw.Komi S MessanRobert M JonesStacey J DohertyKaren FoleyThomas A DouglasRobyn A BarbatoApproximately one fourth of the Earth's Northern Hemisphere is underlain by permafrost, earth materials (soil, organic matter, or bedrock), that has been continuously frozen for at least two consecutive years. Numerous studies point to evidence of accelerated climate warming in the Arctic and sub-Arctic where permafrost is located. Changes to permafrost biochemical processes may critically impact ecosystem processes at the landscape scale. Here, we sought to understand how the permafrost metabolome responds to thaw and how this response differs based on location (i.e. chronosequence of permafrost formation constituting diverse permafrost types). We analyzed metabolites from microbial cells originating from Alaskan permafrost. Overall, permafrost thaw induced a shift in microbial metabolic processes. Of note were the dissimilarities in biochemical structure between frozen and thawed samples. The thawed permafrost metabolomes from different locations were highly similar. In the intact permafrost, several metabolites with antagonist properties were identified, illustrating the competitive survival strategy required to survive a frozen state. Interestingly, the intensity of these antagonistic metabolites decreased with warmer temperature, indicating a shift in ecological strategies in thawed permafrost. These findings illustrate the impact of change in temperature and spatial variability as permafrost undergoes thaw, knowledge that will become crucial for predicting permafrost biogeochemical dynamics as the Arctic and Antarctic landscapes continue to warm.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232169 |
| spellingShingle | Komi S Messan Robert M Jones Stacey J Doherty Karen Foley Thomas A Douglas Robyn A Barbato The role of changing temperature in microbial metabolic processes during permafrost thaw. PLoS ONE |
| title | The role of changing temperature in microbial metabolic processes during permafrost thaw. |
| title_full | The role of changing temperature in microbial metabolic processes during permafrost thaw. |
| title_fullStr | The role of changing temperature in microbial metabolic processes during permafrost thaw. |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of changing temperature in microbial metabolic processes during permafrost thaw. |
| title_short | The role of changing temperature in microbial metabolic processes during permafrost thaw. |
| title_sort | role of changing temperature in microbial metabolic processes during permafrost thaw |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232169 |
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