Cold adaptive traits revealed by comparative genomic analysis of the eurypsychrophile Rhodococcus sp. JG3 isolated from high elevation McMurdo Dry Valley permafrost, Antarctica

From National Research Council Canada

DOIResolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiv154
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Name affiliation
  1. National Research Council of Canada. Energy, Mining and Environment
FormatText, Article
Journal titleFEMS Microbiology Ecology
ISSN1574-6941
Volume92
Issue2
Article numberfiv154
SubjectRhodococcus; Permafrost; Eurypsychrophile; Cryophile; Antarctica; Genome sequence; Subzero
Abstract
The permafrost soils of the high elevation McMurdo Dry Valleys are the most cold, desiccating and oligotrophic on Earth. Rhodococcus sp. JG3 is one of very few bacterial isolates from Antarctic Dry Valley permafrost, and displays subzero growth down to −5°C. To understand how Rhodococcus sp. JG3 is able to survive extreme permafrost conditions and be metabolically active at subzero temperatures, we sequenced its genome and compared it to the genomes of 14 mesophilic rhodococci. Rhodococcus sp. JG3 possessed a higher copy number of genes for general stress response, UV protection and protection from cold shock, osmotic stress and oxidative stress. We characterized genome wide molecular adaptations to cold, and identified genes that had amino acid compositions favourable for increased flexibility and functionality at low temperatures. Rhodococcus sp. JG3 possesses multiple complimentary strategies which may enable its survival in some of the harshest permafrost on Earth.
Publication date
PublisherOxford University Press
LanguageEnglish
Peer reviewedYes
NPARC number23000041
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