一种可以通过使用而不是来生长的细菌
Felisa Wolfe-Simon1, Jodi Switzer Blum, Thomas R Kulp
1NASA Astrobiology Institute, USA. felisawolfesimon@gmail.com
概括
某些细菌可以用代替,是生命的关键元素. 在莫诺湖细菌中的这一发现表明,可能存在替代生物化学,影响我们对生命进化的理解.
科学领域:
- 天体生物学 天体生物学
- 生物化学 生物化学
- 地质化学 地质化学
背景情况:
- 生命主要使用六种元素:碳,,,氧,硫和 (CHNOPS).
- 这些元素形成了必不可少的宏分子,如核酸,蛋白质和脂质.
- 服务于类似生物作用的替代元素的可能性仍然是科学调查的领域.
研究的目的:
- 调查任何生物是否可以用周期表中的其他生物元素替代主要的生物元素.
- 识别和描述能够利用替代元素生长的细菌.
- 为了确定是否可以在必不可少的生物分子中取代.
主要方法:
- 来自加利福尼亚州莫诺湖的细菌的隔离和培养.
- 使用不同度酸盐和酸盐的介质进行生长实验.
- 使用诸如质谱等技术来检测元素组成的细胞宏分子的分析.
主要成果:
- 一种细菌,菌株GFAJ-1 (Halomonadaceae),从莫诺湖中分离出来.
- 菌株GFAJ-1在酸盐和有限的酸盐的存在下显示出增长.
- 有证据表明酸盐被纳入核酸和蛋白质中,取代酸盐.
结论:
- 细菌GFAJ-1可以在关键生物分子中替代.
- 这一发现表明了生命中替代生物化学的潜力.
- 替代主要生物元素的能力对进化和地球化学研究有重大影响.
相关概念视频
Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria
Coryneform bacteria are gram-positive, aerobic, nonmotile rods that exhibit irregular, club-shaped, or V-shaped arrangements. Their V-shape results from snapping division, where the inner cell wall layer forms the cross-wall, while the outer layer remains intact until it ruptures on one side, causing the daughter cells to bend away.The primary genera are Corynebacterium and Arthrobacter. Corynebacterium includes diverse species, ranging from saprophytes to pathogens like Corynebacterium...
Microbial Nutrition
Organisms exhibit remarkable metabolic diversity, categorized based on how they acquire energy and carbon. These strategies enable survival in various ecological niches and are essential for maintaining energy flow and nutrient cycling within ecosystems.Energy and Carbon SourcesOrganisms are classified as phototrophs or chemotrophs based on energy acquisition. Phototrophs use light as their energy source, while chemotrophs rely on oxidizing chemical compounds. Further differentiation arises...
Deep Sea Microbial Ecology
The deep ocean and its underlying sediments represent vast, largely unexplored microbial habitats that extend far beyond the sunlit photic zone. The photic (euphotic) zone typically spans the upper ~100–200 meters of pelagic waters in the open ocean, but its depth varies geographically and seasonally, where sufficient light supports photosynthetic life. Below this lies the deep sea, spanning roughly 1000–6000 meters (bathypelagic to abyssal zones), with deeper hadal trenches extending beyond...
Bacterial Phylum Proteobacteria
Proteobacteria, one of the largest and most diverse bacterial phyla, encompasses a wide range of Gram-negative bacteria distinguished by their outer membrane composed of lipopolysaccharides. These microorganisms exhibit various metabolic capabilities, including phototrophy, chemolithotrophy, and heterotrophy, and thrive in diverse environments from soil to aquatic systems and host-associated niches. The phylum is divided into six classes: Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria,...
Bacterial Phylum Bacteroidota
The phylum Bacteroidota includes over 700 species classified into four primary orders: Bacteroidales, Cytophagales, Flavobacteriales, and Sphingobacteriales. These gram-negative, non-sporulating rods exhibit saccharolytic capabilities and can be aerobic or fermentative, encompassing obligate aerobes, facultative aerobes, and obligate anaerobes. Many species display gliding motility, though some are nonmotile or use flagella. The genus Bacteroides is well-studied due to its significant role in...
Diversity of Archaea III
Crenarchaeota, a prominent phylum of Archaea, is remarkable for its ability to thrive in extreme environments characterized by high temperatures and acidity. These microorganisms inhabit sulfuric hot springs, volcanic systems, and submarine hydrothermal vents, where temperatures often exceed 100°C. The unique adaptations of Crenarchaeota not only allow survival under such extreme conditions but also provide insights into the mechanisms of life in primordial Earth-like environments.Morphological...


