02559nas a2200301 4500008004100000245008000041210006900121260001200190300001200202490000700214520166000221653001501881653001601896653002901912653001801941653001201959100002901971700001802000700002202018700002002040700002202060700001202082700001602094700002602110700002102136700003302157856006702190 2024 eng d00aSentinel protist taxa of the McMurdo Dry Valley lakes, Antarctica: A review0 aSentinel protist taxa of the McMurdo Dry Valley lakes Antarctica c03/2024 a13234720 v123 a

High-latitude meromictic lakes such as those in the Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) harbor aquatic ecosystems dominated by the microbial loop. Within this habitat, which is limited year-round by light and nutrients, protists, or single celled eukaryotes, play outsized roles in the food web as the dominant primary producers and the apex predators. Thus, the MDV lake ecosystem represents an ideal system to study the role of sentinel protist taxa in carbon and nutrient cycling. The perennially ice-covered lakes are part of the McMurdo Long Term Ecological Research (McM LTER; mcmlter.org) established in 1993. In this review we will highlight the diversity and trophic roles of the MDV lake protist community and compare environmental factors driving spatiotemporal patterns in key protist taxa in two lakes within the McM LTER, Lakes Bonney and Fryxell. We will then discuss lessons learned from manipulated experiments on the impact of current and future climate-driven environmental change on sensitive protist taxa. Last, we will integrate knowledge gained from 25 years of lab-controlled experiments on key photosynthetic protists to extend our understanding of the function of these extremophiles within the MDV aquatic food webs. Our research group has studied the distribution and function of the MDV microbial community for nearly two decades, training the next generation of scientists to tackle future problems of these globally significant microbes. This review article will also highlight early career scientists who have contributed to this body of work and represent the future of scientific understanding in the Anthropocene.

10aAntarctica10aDisturbance10aMcMurdo Dry Valley lakes10aphytoplankton10aprotist1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M.1 aPopson, Devon1 aPereira, Rochelle1 aDolhi-Binder, J1 aTeufel, Amber, G.1 aLi, Wei1 aKalra, Isha1 aSherwell, Shasten, S.1 aReynebeau, Emily1 aTakacs-Vesbach, Cristina, D. uhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.132347202098nas a2200265 4500008004100000022001400041245010400055210006900159260001200228300001200240490000800252520131200260653001601572653001501588653001801603653002501621653002101646653001301667653002201680100001601702700001401718700001401732700002901746856005701775 2023 eng d a0166-859500aHigh salt-induced PSI-supercomplex is associated with high CEF and attenuation of state transitions0 aHigh saltinduced PSIsupercomplex is associated with high CEF and c09/2023 a65 - 840 v1573 a

While PSI-driven cyclic electron flow (CEF) and assembly of thylakoid supercomplexes have been described in model organisms like Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, open questions remain regarding their contributions to survival under long-term stress. The Antarctic halophyte, C. priscuii UWO241 (UWO241), possesses constitutive high CEF rates and a stable PSI-supercomplex as a consequence of adaptation to permanent low temperatures and high salinity. To understand whether CEF represents a broader acclimation strategy to short- and long-term stress, we compared high salt acclimation between the halotolerant UWO241, the salt-sensitive model, C. reinhardtii, and a moderately halotolerant Antarctic green alga, C. sp. ICE-MDV (ICE-MDV). CEF was activated under high salt and associated with increased non-photochemical quenching in all three Chlamydomonas species. Furthermore, high salt-acclimated cells of either strain formed a PSI-supercomplex, while state transition capacity was attenuated. How the CEF-associated PSI-supercomplex interferes with state transition response is not yet known. We present a model for interaction between PSI-supercomplex formation, state transitions, and the important role of CEF for survival during long-term exposure to high salt.

10aacclimation10aAntarctica10aChlamydomonas10aCyclic electron flow10aPSI-supercomplex10asalinity10astate transitions1 aKalra, Isha1 aWang, Xin1 aZhang, Ru1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M. uhttps://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11120-023-01032-y02039nas a2200169 4500008004100000245013000041210007100171260001200242520142300254100002601677700001601703700001201719700002401731700002101755700002901776856006401805 2022 eng d00aAntarctic lake phytoplankton and bacteria from near‐surface waters exhibit high sensitivity to climate‐driven disturbance0 aAntarctic lake phytoplankton and bacteria from near‐surface wate c07/20223 a

The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs), Antarctica, represent a cold, desert ecosystem poised on the threshold of melting and freezing water. The MDVs have experienced dramatic signs of climatic change, most notably a warm austral summer in 2001–2002 that caused widespread flooding, partial ice cover loss and lake level rise. To understand the impact of these climatic disturbances on lake microbial communities, we simulated lake level rise and ice-cover loss by transplanting dialysis-bagged communities from selected depths to other locations in the water column or to an open water perimeter moat. Bacteria and eukaryote communities residing in the surface waters (5 m) exhibited shifts in community composition when exposed to either disturbance, while microbial communities from below the surface were largely unaffected by the transplant. We also observed an accumulation of labile dissolved organic carbon in the transplanted surface communities. In addition, there were taxa-specific sensitivities: cryptophytes and Actinobacteria were highly sensitive particularly to the moat transplant, while chlorophytes and several bacterial taxa increased in relative abundance or were unaffected. Our results reveal that future climate-driven disturbances will likely undermine the stability and productivity of MDV lake phytoplankton and bacterial communities in the surface waters of this extreme environment.

1 aSherwell, Shasten, S.1 aKalra, Isha1 aLi, Wei1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aPriscu, John, C.1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M. uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1462-2920.1611302454nas a2200277 4500008004100000245020000041210006900241260001200310300001400322490000800336520152000344653001501864653001401879653002501893653001801918653001701936653000801953100002401961700001601985700002102001700001902022700001802041700002302059700002902082856006502111 2022 eng d00aCyclic electron flow (CEF) and ascorbate pathway activity provide constitutive photoprotection for the photopsychrophile, Chlamydomonas sp. UWO 241 (renamed Chlamydomonas priscuii)0 aCyclic electron flow CEF and ascorbate pathway activity provide  c03/2022 a235 - 2500 v1513 a

Under environmental stress, plants and algae employ a variety of strategies to protect the photosynthetic apparatus and maintain photostasis. To date, most studies on stress acclimation have focused on model organisms which possess limited to no tolerance to stressful extremes. We studied the ability of the Antarctic alga Chlamydomonas sp. UWO 241 (UWO 241) to acclimate to low temperature, high salinity or high light. UWO 241 maintained robust growth and photosynthetic activity at levels of temperature (2 °C) and salinity (700 mM NaCl) which were nonpermissive for a mesophilic sister species, Chlamydomonas raudensis SAG 49.72 (SAG 49.72). Acclimation in the mesophile involved classic mechanisms, including downregulation of light harvesting and shifts in excitation energy between photosystem I and II. In contrast, UWO 241 exhibited high rates of PSI-driven cyclic electron flow (CEF) and a larger capacity for nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ). Furthermore, UWO 241 exhibited constitutively high activity of two key ascorbate cycle enzymes, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase and maintained a large ascorbate pool. These results matched the ability of the psychrophile to maintain low ROS under short-term photoinhibition conditions. We conclude that tight control over photostasis and ROS levels are essential for photosynthetic life to flourish in a native habitat of permanent photooxidative stress. We propose to rename this organism Chlamydomonas priscuii.

10aAntarctica10aascorbate10aCyclic electron flow10aPhotosystem I10aPsychrophile10aROS1 aStahl-Rommel, Sarah1 aKalra, Isha1 aD'Silva, Susanna1 aHahn, Mark, M.1 aPopson, Devon1 aCvetkovska, Marina1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M. uhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11120-021-00877-503572nas a2200301 4500008004100000245010000041210006900141260001200210300001100222490000800233520264300241653002302884653001002907653002002917653002202937653002602959653001902985653001603004100002603020700002103046700002303067700001403090700002603104700002303130700001603153700002903169856007203198 2022 eng d00aPhotosynthetic adaptation to polar life: Energy balance, photoprotection and genetic redundancy0 aPhotosynthetic adaptation to polar life Energy balance photoprot c01/2022 a1535570 v2683 a

The persistent low temperature that characterize polar habitats combined with the requirement for light for all photoautotrophs creates a conundrum. The absorption of too much light at low temperature can cause an energy imbalance that decreases photosynthetic performance that has a negative impact on growth and can affect long-term survival. The goal of this review is to survey the mechanism(s) by which polar photoautotrophs maintain cellular energy balance, that is, photostasis to overcome the potential for cellular energy imbalance in their low temperature environments. Photopsychrophiles are photosynthetic organisms that are obligately adapted to low temperature (0-15 °C) but usually die at higher temperatures (≥20 °C). In contrast, photopsychrotolerant species can usually tolerate and survive a broad range of temperatures (5-40 °C). First, we summarize the basic concepts of excess excitation energy, energy balance, photoprotection and photostasis and their importance to survival in polar habitats. Second, we compare the photoprotective mechanisms that underlie photostasis and survival in aquatic cyanobacteria and green algae as well as terrestrial Antarctic and Arctic plants. We show that polar photopsychrophilic and photopsychrotolerant organisms attain energy balance at low temperature either through a regulated reduction in the efficiency of light absorption or through enhanced capacity to consume photosynthetic electrons by the induction of O2 as an alternative electron acceptor. Finally, we compare the published genomes of three photopsychrophilic and one photopsychrotolerant alga with five mesophilic green algae including the model green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We relate our genomic analyses to photoprotective mechanisms that contribute to the potential attainment of photostasis. Finally, we discuss how the observed genomic redundancy in photopsychrophilic genomes may confer energy balance, photoprotection and resilience to their harsh polar environment. Primary production in aquatic, Antarctic and Arctic environments is dependent on diverse algal and cyanobacterial communities. Although mosses and lichens dominate the Antarctic terrestrial landscape, only two extant angiosperms exist in the Antarctic. The identification of a single ‘molecular key’ to unravel adaptation of photopsychrophily and photopsychrotolerance remains elusive. Since these photoautotrophs represent excellent biomarkers to assess the impact of global warming on polar ecosystems, increased study of these polar photoautotrophs remains essential.

10agenomic redundancy10alight10aphotoprotection10aphotopsychrophily10aphotopsychrotolerance10aPhotosynthesis10atemperature1 aHüner, Norman, P. A.1 aSmith, David, R.1 aCvetkovska, Marina1 aZhang, Xi1 aIvanov, Alexander, G.1 aSzyszka-Mroz, Beth1 aKalra, Isha1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M. uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S017616172100196603475nas a2200217 4500008004100000245017000041210006900211260003900280300000800319490000800327520273200335653001603067653000803083653001703091653001903108653002003127653001703147100001603164700002903180856004803209 2021 eng d00aRole of cyclic electron flow (CEF) and photosystem I (PSI) supercomplex formation during acclimation to long-term salinity stress in green algae: A comparative study0 aRole of cyclic electron flow CEF and photosystem I PSI supercomp aOxford, OHbMiami Universityc2021 a2360 vPhD3 aPhotosynthesis is one of the most important processes on Earth by which organisms convert solar energy into usable forms of energy. Linear electron flow (LEF) and cyclic electron flow (CEF) constitute two major pathways in photosynthesis. While LEF leads to production of both ATP and NADPH, CEF only produces ATP that helps balance the ATP:NADPH ratio required for carbon fixation. CEF also plays a major role during acclimation to several environmental stressors. However, the regulation and mechanism by which CEF operates is still not clearly understood. Recent studies have shown that formation of a protein supercomplex with PSI appears to be essential for induction of CEF in several model organisms. However, both supercomplex formation and CEF induction have been mainly studied under short-term, transitory stress conditions. In addition, the role and mechanism by which organisms may rely on CEF to survive in their natural habitat and acclimate to stress over a long period of time has not been considered. In this study we compared how three photosynthetic organisms (one model alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii; two extremophiles, C. sp. UWO241 and C. sp. ICE-MDV) utilize CEF to cope with their natural environment and adapt to steady-state environmental stress. To that end, the objectives of this thesis were i) to elucidate the role of CEF in long-term salinity acclimation ii) to understand the downstream changes associated with increased CEF, and iii) to identify whether PSI-supercomplexes are associated with increased CEF during salinity acclimation. We hypothesized that a stable PSI-supercomplex is required for high CEF, which in turn supports strong carbon fixation capacity for production of downstream metabolic products important for long-term acclimation to salinity stress. We showed for the first time, that increased CEF in UWO241 leads to excess ATP production and rewiring of downstream metabolism under high salinity. Next, we showed that a laboratory evolved salinity-tolerant strain of model C. reinhardtii uses constitutive upregulation of CEF to deal with salinity stress, which is in-turn associated with increased non-photochemical quenching and rewired carbon metabolism. Last, we show that CEF is involved in salinity acclimation in all three Chlamydomonas species, regardless of their salinity tolerance. We also show that PSI-supercomplexes are associated with increased CEF in these species. Characterization of high-salt supercomplex of C. reinhardtii revealed that it shares many similarities with the extensively described state 2 supercomplex, and that supercomplex composition might be species dependent rather than stress dependent.10aacclimation10aCEF10aextremophile10aPhotosynthesis10asalinity stress10asupercomplex1 aKalra, Isha1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M. uhttps://www.proquest.com/docview/257256058502207nas a2200205 4500008004100000245010800041210006900149260001200218520152500230100001601755700001401771700002301785700001901808700002201827700001401849700001901863700002101882700002901903856006901932 2020 eng d00aChlamydomonas sp. UWO 241 exhibits high cyclic electron flow and rewired metabolism under high salinity0 aChlamydomonas sp UWO 241 exhibits high cyclic electron flow and  c03/20203 a

The Antarctic green alga Chlamydomonas sp. UWO 241 (UWO 241) is adapted to permanent low temperatures, hypersalinity, and extreme shade. one of the most striking phenotypes of UWO 241 is an altered photosystem I (PSI) organization and constitutive PSI cyclic electron flow (CEF). To date, little attention has been paid to CEF during long-term stress acclimation, and the consequences of sustained CEF in UWO 241 are not known. In this study, we combined photobiology, proteomics, and metabolomics to understand the underlying role of sustained CEF in high salinity stress acclimation. High salt-grown UWO 241 exhibited increased thylakoid proton motive flux and an increased capacity for non-photochemical quenching. Under high salt, a significant proportion of the upregulated enzymes were associated with the Calvin Benson Bassham Cycle, carbon storage metabolism, and protein translation. Two key enzymes of the Shikimate pathway, DAHP synthase and chorismate synthase, were also upregulated, as well as indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of L-tryptophan and indole acetic acid. In addition, several compatible solutes (glycerol, proline, and sucrose) accumulated to high levels in high salt-grown UWO 241 cultures. We suggest that UWO 241 maintains constitutively high CEF through the associated PSI-cytochrome b6f supercomplex to support robust growth and strong photosynthetic capacity under a constant growth regime of low temperatures and high salinity.

1 aKalra, Isha1 aWang, Xin1 aCvetkovska, Marina1 aJeong, Jooyeon1 aMcHargue, William1 aZhang, Ru1 aHüner, Norman1 aYuan, Joshua, S.1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M. uhttp://www.plantphysiol.org/content/early/2020/04/03/pp.19.0128002684nas a2200265 4500008004100000022001400041245014900055210006900204260001200273490000600285520185300291653001502144653002502159653000902184653001802193653001702211100001502228700001802243700001602261700001202277700001402289700002102303700002902324856006502353 2019 eng d a0166-859500aThe Antarctic psychrophiles Chlamydomonas spp. UWO241 and ICE-MDV exhibit differential restructuring of photosystem I in response to iron0 aAntarctic psychrophiles iChlamydomonasi spp UWO241 and ICEMDV ex c02/20190 v93 a

Chlamydomonas sp. UWO241 is a psychrophilic alga isolated from the deep photic zone of a perennially ice-covered Antarctic lake (east lobe Lake Bonney, ELB). Past studies have shown that C. sp. UWO241 exhibits constitutive downregulation of photosystem I (PSI) and high rates of PSI-associated cyclic electron flow (CEF). Iron levels in ELB are in the nanomolar range leading us to hypothesize that the unusual PSI phenotype of C. sp. UWO241 could be a response to chronic Fe-deficiency. We studied the impact of Fe availability in C. sp. UWO241, a mesophile, C. reinhardtii SAG11-32c, as well as a psychrophile isolated from the shallow photic zone of ELB, Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-MDV. Under Fe-deficiency, PsaA abundance and levels of photooxidizable P700 (ΔA820/A820) were reduced in both psychrophiles relative to the mesophile. Upon increasing Fe, C. sp. ICE-MDV and C. reinhardtii exhibited restoration of PSI function, while C. sp. UWO241 exhibited only moderate changes in PSI activity and lacked almost all LHCI proteins. Relative to Fe-excess conditions (200 μM Fe2+), C. sp. UWO241 grown in 18 μM Fe2+ exhibited downregulation of light harvesting and photosystem core proteins, as well as upregulation of a bestrophin-like anion channel protein and two CEF-associated proteins (NdsS, PGL1). Key enzymes of starch synthesis and shikimate biosynthesis were also upregulated. We conclude that in response to variable Fe availability, the psychrophile C. sp. UWO241 exhibits physiological plasticity which includes restructuring of the photo-chemical apparatus, increased PSI-associated CEF, and shifts in downstream carbon metabolism toward storage carbon and secondary stress metabolites.

10aAntarctica10aCyclic electron flow10aIron10aPhotosystem I10aPsychrophile1 aCook, Greg1 aTeufel, Amber1 aKalra, Isha1 aLi, Wei1 aWang, Xin1 aPriscu, John, C.1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M. uhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11120-019-00621-0