The struggle for life in the Dead Sea sediments: necrophagy as a survival mechanism
Camille Thomas, Vincent Grossi, Ingrid Antheaume, Daniel Ariztegui; Recycling of archaeal biomass as a new strategy for extreme life in Dead Sea deep sediments.聽骋别辞濒辞驳测听诲辞颈:听
Camille Thomas, Daniel Ariztegui and a team of colleagues from the AV短视频 of Lyon (France) have evidenced unprecedented molecular fossils from the hypersaline sediments of the Dead Sea. Their structure reveals the recycling of cell fragments from halophilic archaea, extremophiles adapted to the hypersaline Dead Sea conditions, by another microbial population, likely from the Bacteria domain. This necrophagic strategy allows them to create carbon and water stocks to survive in the deep salt and gypsum sediments of the Dead Sea. This constitutes an unprecedented strategy for survival in the deep biosphere, widening our understanding of adaptations exhibited by microorganisms to live in extreme environments.
(photo credit聽Tommy Dessine)
March 27, 2019Highlights