01137nas a2200193 4500008004100000245005600041210005300097260001200150300001100162490000700173520056500180100002100745700001800766700001400784700002300798700002900821700002600850856006700876 2022 eng d00aAn Antarctic alga that can survive the extreme cold0 aAntarctic alga that can survive the extreme cold c05/2022 a7408380 v103 a

Microscopic algae are tougher than you might think. Some can even survive the extreme cold. In this article, we describe one of the coolest algae of all, the Antarctic green alga called Chlamydomonas sp. UWO241. This one-celled super-organism lives deep in the frigid waters of a remote and permanently ice-covered lake in Antarctica. How does this little alga thrive in such a barren and unwelcoming place? Well, dive into this article to learn how studying the genome of UWO241 is helping scientists better understand this amazingly hardy alga.

1 aSmith, David, R.1 aLeung, Arthur1 aZhang, Xi1 aCvetkovska, Marina1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M.1 aHüner, Norman, P. A. uhttps://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2022.74083802454nas 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/S017616172100196601659nas a2200193 4500008004100000022001300041245008600054210006900140260001200209300001100221490000700232520104000239100001401279700002301293700002901316700002601345700002201371856007201393 2021 eng d a2589004200aDraft genome sequence of the Antarctic green alga Chlamydomonas sp. UWO2410 aDraft genome sequence of the Antarctic green alga IChlamydomonas c2021-02 a1020840 v243 a

Antarctica is home to an assortment of psychrophilic algae, which have evolved various survival strategies for coping with their frigid environments. Here, we explore Antarctic psychrophily by examining the ∼212 Mb draft nuclear genome of the green alga Chlamydomonas sp. UWO241, which resides within the water column of a perennially ice-covered, hypersaline lake. Like certain other Antarctic algae, UWO241 encodes a large number (≥37) of ice-binding proteins, putatively originating from horizontal gene transfer. Even more striking, UWO241 harbors hundreds of highly similar duplicated genes involved in diverse cellular processes, some of which we argue are aiding its survival in the Antarctic via gene dosage. Gene and partial gene duplication appear to be an ongoing phenomenon within UWO241, one which might be mediated by retrotransposons. Ultimately, we consider how such a process could be associated with adaptation to extreme environments but explore potential non-adaptive hypotheses as well.

1 aZhang, Xi1 aCvetkovska, Marina1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M.1 aHüner, Norman, P. A.1 aSmith, David, Roy uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258900422100052302207nas 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.19.01280