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Microorganisms and Their Metabolic Capabilities in the Context of the Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle at Extreme Environments

Extreme microorganisms (extremophile) are organisms that inhabit environments characterized by inhospitable parameters for most live beings (extreme temperatures and pH values, high or low ionic strength, pressure, or scarcity of nutrients). To grow optimally under these conditions, extremophiles ha...

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Autor principal: Martínez-Espinosa, Rosa María
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7349289/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32545812
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms21124228
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author Martínez-Espinosa, Rosa María
author_facet Martínez-Espinosa, Rosa María
author_sort Martínez-Espinosa, Rosa María
collection PubMed
description Extreme microorganisms (extremophile) are organisms that inhabit environments characterized by inhospitable parameters for most live beings (extreme temperatures and pH values, high or low ionic strength, pressure, or scarcity of nutrients). To grow optimally under these conditions, extremophiles have evolved molecular adaptations affecting their physiology, metabolism, cell signaling, etc. Due to their peculiarities in terms of physiology and metabolism, they have become good models for (i) understanding the limits of life on Earth, (ii) exploring the possible existence of extraterrestrial life (Astrobiology), or (iii) to look for potential applications in biotechnology. Recent research has revealed that extremophilic microbes play key roles in all biogeochemical cycles on Earth. Nitrogen cycle (N-cycle) is one of the most important biogeochemical cycles in nature; thanks to it, nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms, which circulate among atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This review summarizes recent knowledge on the role of extreme microorganisms in the N-cycle in extremophilic ecosystems, with special emphasis on members of the Archaea domain. Potential implications of these microbes in global warming and nitrogen balance, as well as their biotechnological applications are also discussed.
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spelling pubmed-73492892020-07-21 Microorganisms and Their Metabolic Capabilities in the Context of the Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle at Extreme Environments Martínez-Espinosa, Rosa María Int J Mol Sci Review Extreme microorganisms (extremophile) are organisms that inhabit environments characterized by inhospitable parameters for most live beings (extreme temperatures and pH values, high or low ionic strength, pressure, or scarcity of nutrients). To grow optimally under these conditions, extremophiles have evolved molecular adaptations affecting their physiology, metabolism, cell signaling, etc. Due to their peculiarities in terms of physiology and metabolism, they have become good models for (i) understanding the limits of life on Earth, (ii) exploring the possible existence of extraterrestrial life (Astrobiology), or (iii) to look for potential applications in biotechnology. Recent research has revealed that extremophilic microbes play key roles in all biogeochemical cycles on Earth. Nitrogen cycle (N-cycle) is one of the most important biogeochemical cycles in nature; thanks to it, nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms, which circulate among atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This review summarizes recent knowledge on the role of extreme microorganisms in the N-cycle in extremophilic ecosystems, with special emphasis on members of the Archaea domain. Potential implications of these microbes in global warming and nitrogen balance, as well as their biotechnological applications are also discussed. MDPI 2020-06-13 /pmc/articles/PMC7349289/ /pubmed/32545812 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms21124228 Text en © 2020 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
spellingShingle Review
Martínez-Espinosa, Rosa María
Microorganisms and Their Metabolic Capabilities in the Context of the Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle at Extreme Environments
title Microorganisms and Their Metabolic Capabilities in the Context of the Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle at Extreme Environments
title_full Microorganisms and Their Metabolic Capabilities in the Context of the Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle at Extreme Environments
title_fullStr Microorganisms and Their Metabolic Capabilities in the Context of the Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle at Extreme Environments
title_full_unstemmed Microorganisms and Their Metabolic Capabilities in the Context of the Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle at Extreme Environments
title_short Microorganisms and Their Metabolic Capabilities in the Context of the Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle at Extreme Environments
title_sort microorganisms and their metabolic capabilities in the context of the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle at extreme environments
topic Review
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7349289/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32545812
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms21124228
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