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Microbial Diversity in Cold Environments and Their Sustainable Use
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Microbial Diversity in Cold Environments and Their Sustainable Use

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability, Biodiversity and Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 17032

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Masaharu Tsuji

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Materials Chemistry, National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Asahikawa College, Asahikawa 071-8142, Japan
Interests: diversity of fungi in polar regions; mechanisms of adaptation of polar fungi to extreme environments; enzymes produced by fungi; biomaterials production using fungi; yeast taxonomy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I am inviting you to consider submitting a manuscript to Sustainability for a Special Issue on “Microbial Diversity in Cold Environments and their sustainable use”.

Over 80% of the Earth biosphere is continuously exposed to temperatures below 5 °C, including in the Polar Regions, deep sea, and the Alps. Despite exposure to conditions adversely affecting their survival, such as subzero temperatures, and low nutrient and water availability, microorganisms in cold environments can grow and decompose diverse types of organic compounds at sub-zero temperatures and they, therefore, play an important role in the nutrient cycles of cold environment ecosystems. The changing microbial diversity affects material production in the environments. Therefore, it is important to understand the microbial diversity in the environments. In recent years, microorganisms inhabiting these environments have been attracting attention as microbial resources because they have characteristics such as cold-active enzymes and ice-binding protein (antifreeze proteins), material conversion abilities under low temperatures. This special issue will comprise a selection of papers presenting original and mini-review on the diversity of microorganisms inhabiting the cold environments, and the sustainable use of these microbes as microbial resources.

Papers selected for this Special Issue will be subject to a rigorous peer-review process with the aim of rapid and wide dissemination of research results, developments, and applications.

Dr. Masaharu Tsuji
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Psychrophilic and psychrotolerant fungus, bacteria and archaea Biotechnological potentialities
  • Community analysis
  • Antarctica
  • Arctica
  • Glacier
  • High mountain
  • Bioprospecting

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 2716 KiB  
Article
Identification of Fungal Communities Isolated from Himalayan Glacier Cryoconites
by Gandhali M. Dhume, Masaharu Tsuji and Shiv Mohan Singh
Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 14814; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214814 - 10 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1868
Abstract
The current study focuses on fungi that were isolated from cryoconite holes of the Hamtah glacier in the Himalayas. Cryoconite holes have ecological and biotechnological importance. A total of seven cryoconite samples were collected from different locations and subjected to the isolation of [...] Read more.
The current study focuses on fungi that were isolated from cryoconite holes of the Hamtah glacier in the Himalayas. Cryoconite holes have ecological and biotechnological importance. A total of seven cryoconite samples were collected from different locations and subjected to the isolation of psychotropic fungi at 1, 4, 15 and 22 °C. Isolates were identified by ITS and D1/D2 region sequences. The result showed culturable yeasts (45) and filamentous fungi (10) belonging to four ascomycetous classes (Dothideomycetes, Eurotiomycetes, Saccharomycetes and Sordariomycetes) and two basidiomycetes’ classes (Microbotryomycetes and Tremellomycetes). Physiological characteristics such as the pH, temperature, salt tolerance, carbon source utilization and antibiotics sensitivity of the isolates were studied. All the isolates were grown from acidic to alkaline pH and were able to grow at 1 to 22 °C. The fungal cultures isolated were screened to produce cold active enzymes such as amylase, cellulase, lipase, protease and catalase. Cellulase activity was detected at its maximum at both 4 and 15 °C. Himalayan cryoconites fungi showed immense potential for biotechnological and industrial applications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first record of the characterization of fungal communities present in the glacier cryoconites of the Himalayas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Diversity in Cold Environments and Their Sustainable Use)
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12 pages, 1606 KiB  
Article
Elemental Composition and Freezing Tolerance in High Arctic Fishes and Invertebrates
by Shiv Mohan Singh, Masaharu Tsuji, Purnima Singh and Ravindra Uttam Mulik
Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11727; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811727 - 19 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1794
Abstract
The elemental composition in different Arctic fishes and invertebrates was investigated using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrophotometer (ICPMS). Nineteen elements such as Arsenic (As), Barium (Ba), Bismuth (Bi), Cadmium (Cd), Cesium (Cs), Chromium (Cr), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb), Manganese [...] Read more.
The elemental composition in different Arctic fishes and invertebrates was investigated using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrophotometer (ICPMS). Nineteen elements such as Arsenic (As), Barium (Ba), Bismuth (Bi), Cadmium (Cd), Cesium (Cs), Chromium (Cr), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb), Manganese (Mn), Nickel (Ni), Rubidium (Rb), Selinium (Se), Silver (Ag), Strontium (Sr), Uranium (U), Vanadium (V), and Zinc (Zn) were analyzed in six species of fishes (Anarhichas lupus, Gadus ogac, Gadus morhu, Gymnocanthus tricuspis, Liparis sp., Myoxocephalus scorpius) and four benthic invertebrates (Ophiura albida, O. Sarsii, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, Polychaete). Elemental data revealed that the invertebrates accumulate higher concentrations of elements than the fishes. The high concentration of elements including Sr, As, and Zn indicated anthropogenic contribution and may affect the fish community in the fragile ecosystem of the High Arctic. The movement of tourists and logistics must be regulated to prevent serious change in Svalbard. Most of the fishes have shown strong antifreeze protein (AFP) activity, and this potential helps fishes to survive in the cold Arctic environment. This is the first study of elemental concentrations and AFPs in fishes and benthic invertebrates filling the knowledge gap from the High Arctic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Diversity in Cold Environments and Their Sustainable Use)
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8 pages, 1544 KiB  
Article
Glacier Retreat Results in Loss of Fungal Diversity
by Masaharu Tsuji, Warwick F. Vincent, Yukiko Tanabe and Masaki Uchida
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1617; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031617 - 29 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3627
Abstract
Walker Glacier near the northern coast of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic (terrestrial margin of the ‘Last Ice Area’) is undergoing rapid ice attrition in response to climate change. We applied culture and molecular methods to investigate fungal diversity at the [...] Read more.
Walker Glacier near the northern coast of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic (terrestrial margin of the ‘Last Ice Area’) is undergoing rapid ice attrition in response to climate change. We applied culture and molecular methods to investigate fungal diversity at the terminus of this glacier. Analysis of the mycoflora composition showed that the Walker Glacier isolates separated into two clusters: the surface of the glacier ice and the glacier foreland. The recently exposed sediments of the foreland had a lower fungal diversity and different species from those on the ice, with the exception of five species that occurred in both habitats. This loss of glacial ice in the Arctic is therefore resulting in the loss of habitats for cold-dwelling fungal species. Fungal diversity is a potentially rich biological resource of glacial ecosystems, with unique taxa. The rapid loss of these glacial habitats underscores the urgency for genomic surveys of fungal diversity in the High Arctic, and the need for further isolation of strains as well as cryopreservation of environmental micro-biome samples for future research and conservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Diversity in Cold Environments and Their Sustainable Use)
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17 pages, 1393 KiB  
Article
Comparative Genomic Analysis of Arctic Permafrost Bacterium Nesterenkonia sp. PF2B19 to Gain Insights into Its Cold Adaptation Tactic and Diverse Biotechnological Potential
by Purnima Singh, Neelam Kapse, Vasudevan Gowdaman, Masaharu Tsuji, Shiv Mohan Singh and Prashant K. Dhakephalkar
Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4590; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084590 - 20 Apr 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2743
Abstract
Nesterenkonia sp. PF2B19, a psychrophile was isolated from 44,800-year-old permafrost soil. This is the first report on comparative genomics of Nesterenkonia sp. isolated from Arctic. Genome of PF2B19 exhibited the presence of a vast array of genetic determinants involved in cold adaptation i.e., [...] Read more.
Nesterenkonia sp. PF2B19, a psychrophile was isolated from 44,800-year-old permafrost soil. This is the first report on comparative genomics of Nesterenkonia sp. isolated from Arctic. Genome of PF2B19 exhibited the presence of a vast array of genetic determinants involved in cold adaptation i.e., response to cold-associated general, osmotic, and oxidative stress. These genomic attributes proved to be valuable in unraveling the adaptive tactics employed by PF2B19 for survival in the cold permafrost soils of the Arctic. Genomic analysis of PF2B19 has given some valuable insight into the biotechnological potential of this strain, particularly as a source of cold-active enzymes, as a bioremediating agent and as plant growth-promoting bacteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Diversity in Cold Environments and Their Sustainable Use)
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23 pages, 13723 KiB  
Article
Contrasting Patterns of Microbial Communities in Glacier Cryoconite of Nepali Himalaya and Greenland, Arctic
by Purnima Singh, Masaharu Tsuji, Shiv Mohan Singh and Nozomu Takeuchi
Sustainability 2020, 12(16), 6477; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166477 - 11 Aug 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2884
Abstract
To understand the microbial composition and diversity patterns, cryoconite granules were collected from two geographical areas, i.e., Nepali Himalaya and Greenland, Arctic. 16S rRNA, ITS and the D1/D2 domain sequencing techniques were used for characterization of microbial communities of the four glaciers. The [...] Read more.
To understand the microbial composition and diversity patterns, cryoconite granules were collected from two geographical areas, i.e., Nepali Himalaya and Greenland, Arctic. 16S rRNA, ITS and the D1/D2 domain sequencing techniques were used for characterization of microbial communities of the four glaciers. The total 13 species of bacteria such as Bacillus aryabhattai, Bacillus simplex, Brevundimonas vesicularis, Cryobacterium luteum, Cryobacterium psychrotolerans, Dermacoccus nishinomiyaensis, Glaciihabitans tibetensis, Leifsonia kafniensis, Paracoccus limosus, Polaromonas glacialis, Sporosarcina globispora, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Variovorax ginsengisoli, and 4 species of fungi such as Goffeauzyma gilvescens, Mrakia robertii, Dothideomycetes sp., Helotiales sp. were recorded from Nepali Himalaya. Among these, 12 species of bacteria and 4 species of fungi are new contributions to Himalaya. In contrast to this, six species of bacteria such as Bacillus cereus, Cryobacterium psychrotolerans, Dermacoccus nishinomiyaensis, Enhydrobacter aerosaccus, Glaciihabitans tibetensis, Subtercola frigoramans, and nine species of fungi such as Goffeauzyma gilvescens, Mrakia robertii, Naganishia vaughanmartiniae, Piskurozyma fildesensis, Rhodotorula svalbardensis, Alatospora acuminata, Articulospora sp., Phialophora sp., Thelebolus microspores, and Dothideomycetes sp.), were recorded from Qaanaaq, Isunnguata Sermia and Thule glaciers, Greenland. Among these, five species of bacteria and seven species of fungi are new contributions to Greenland cryoconite. Microbial analyses indicate that the Nepali Himalayan cryoconite colonize higher numbers of microbial species compared to the Greenland cryoconite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Diversity in Cold Environments and Their Sustainable Use)
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Review

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8 pages, 435 KiB  
Review
Soil Yeasts in the Vicinity of Syowa Station, East Antarctica: Their Diversity and Extracellular Enzymes, Cold Adaptation Strategies, and Secondary Metabolites
by Masaharu Tsuji and Sakae Kudoh
Sustainability 2020, 12(11), 4518; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114518 - 2 Jun 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2880
Abstract
Antarctica is known as one of the harshest environments on Earth, with a frigid and dry climate. Soil yeasts living in such extreme environments can grow by decomposing organic compounds at sub-zero temperatures. Thus far, a list of lichen and non-lichen fungi isolated [...] Read more.
Antarctica is known as one of the harshest environments on Earth, with a frigid and dry climate. Soil yeasts living in such extreme environments can grow by decomposing organic compounds at sub-zero temperatures. Thus far, a list of lichen and non-lichen fungi isolated from the area near Syowa Station, the base of the Japanese Antarctic research expedition, has been compiled and a total of 76 species of fungi have been reported. Yeast, especially basidiomycete yeast, is the dominant fungus in Antarctica. This mini-review summarizes a survey of the yeast diversity in the soil of Eastern Ongul Island and the ability of these yeasts to secrete extracellular enzymes. We also describe the yeast diversity in the soil of the Skarvesnes ice-free region and how these yeasts have adapted to the sub-zero environment. Further, we describe the secondary metabolites of these yeasts, whose production is induced by cold stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Diversity in Cold Environments and Their Sustainable Use)
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