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. 1991 Aug;57(8):2308–2311. doi: 10.1128/aem.57.8.2308-2311.1991

Photosynthetic Carbon Incorporation and Turnover in Antarctic Cryptoendolithic Microbial Communities: Are They the Slowest-Growing Communities on Earth?

Carl G Johnston 1,†, J Robie Vestal 1,*
PMCID: PMC183568  PMID: 16348539

Abstract

The main forms of terrestrial life in the cold, desolate Ross Desert of Antarctica are lichen-dominated or cyanobacterium-dominated cryptoendolithic (hidden in rock) microbial communities. Though microbial community biomass (as measured by extractable lipid phosphate) was well within the range of values determined for other microbial communities, community lipid carbon turnover times (calculated from community lipid biomass, rates of community photosynthetic carbon incorporation into lipids versus temperature, and the in situ temperature record) were among the longest on Earth (ca. 20,000 years). When the temperature is above freezing and moisture is present, moderate rates of photosynthesis can be measured. Lichen communities had a psychrophilic temperature response (maximal rate of 4.5 ng of C h-1 m-2 at 10°C) while cyanobacteria communities had maximal rates at 20 to 30°C (3 ng of C h-1 m-2). These extraordinarily slowly growing communities were not nutrient limited. No significant changes in photosynthetic metabolism were observed upon additions of 100 nM to 1 mM nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, and manganese. These simple, tenacious microbial communities demonstrate strategies of survival under conditions normally considered too extreme for life.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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