Antarctic dwelling single-celled microorganisms called archaea can behave like parasites, new research shows.
In Antarctica is a small lake, called Deep Lake, that is so salty it remains ice-free all year round despite temperatures as low as -20 °C in winter. Archaea, a unique type of single-celled microorganism, thrive in this bitterly cold environment.
"They are less studied and understood than the other lineages. However, archaea provide clues about the evolution of life on Earth, as well as how life might exist on other planets. Their unique biochemistry also holds promising applications in biotechnology and bioremediation. Within the archaea, there is a group called DPANN archaea that are much smaller than other archaea, with very small genomes and limited metabolic capabilities. The study reveals they depend on host microbes, particularly other archaea, to survive.
Associate Professor Duggin said predators are important players in ecosystems because when they kill their hosts, they not only feed themselves but also make the remains of the host cells available for other organisms to feed on. Dr Liao said her future research aims to explore archaea for biomedical and biotechnological applications. While no archaea have been found to cause disease, they could still impact wellbeing. Archaea are also responsible for livestock methane emissions, so a greater knowledge of archaeal lifestyles could be useful to combat climate change.Joshua N. Hamm, Yan Liao, Andriko von Kügelgen, Nina Dombrowski, Evan Landers, Christopher Brownlee, Emma M. V. Johansson, Renee M. Whan, Matthew A. B.
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