Transitioning ecosystems: how will permafrost cryophiles respond to a changing climate?

Permafrost harbours a diversity of cryophilic microorganisms that can be metabolically active at sub-zero temperatures and likely play a role in global carbon cycling. This forum article explores possible impacts of permafrost warming on cold-adapted microbiota, highlights underexplored areas of research, and suggests future short and long-term research foci.

Active microbiota persist in dry permafrost and active layer from Elephant Head, Antarctica.

Dry permafrost is a challenging environment for microbial life due to cold, dry, and often oligotrophic conditions. In 2016, Elephant Head, Antarctica, was confirmed as the second site on Earth to contain dry permafrost. It is geographically distinct from the McMurdo Dry Valleys where dry permafrost has been studied previously. Here, we present the first study of the microbial activity, diversity, and functional potential of Elephant Head dry permafrost. Microbial activity was measured using radiorespiration assays with radiolabeled acetate as a carbon source at 5, 0, and -5°C. Low, but detectable, rates of microbial activity were measured in some samples at 0 and -5°C. This is distinct from previous studies of McMurdo Dry Valley dry permafrost which concluded that dry permafrost represents a cold-arid limit to life on the planet. The isolation of cold-adapted organisms from these soils, including one capable of subzero growth, further supports that the Elephant Head dry active layer and dry permafrost harbor viable microbial life, which may be active in situ. Metagenomic, 16S rRNA gene, and internal transcribed spacer and amplicon sequencing identified similar microbial communities to other Antarctic and cold environments. The Elephant Head microbial community appears to be adapted for survival in cold, dry, and oligotrophic conditions based on the presence of cold adaptation and stress response genes in the metagenomes. Together, our results show that dry permafrost environments do not exclude active microbial life at subzero temperatures, suggesting that the cold, dry soils of Mars may also not be as inhospitable as previously thought.

Cryomicrobial Ecology: Still Much To Learn about Life Left Out in the Cold.

Studies from cryoenvironments on Earth have demonstrated that microbial life is widespread and have identified microorganisms that are metabolically active and can replicate at subzero temperatures if liquid water is present. However, cryophiles (subzero-growing organisms) often exist in low densities in the environment and their growth rate is low, making them difficult to study. Compounding this, a large number of dormant and dead cells are preserved in frozen settings. Using integrated genomic and activity-based approaches is essential to understanding the cold limits of life on Earth, as well as how cryophilic microorganisms are poised to adapt and metabolize in warming settings, such as in thawing permafrost. An increased understanding of cryophilic lifestyles on Earth will also help inform how (and where) we look for potential microbial life on cold planetary bodies in our solar system such as Mars, Europa, and Enceladus.