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Microorganisms
Special Issues
New Insights into Diversity and Biotechnological Applications of Extremophiles
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New Insights into Diversity and Biotechnological Applications of Extremophiles

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 4112

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yulia Deryabina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia
Interests: relationship between reactive oxygen species accumulation, antioxidant system function, and pathological cell process in the yeasts of various taxonomic groups; redox signaling and oxidation stress protection in fungal cells; aging; metabolic readjustments; extremophiles

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Extremophiles are the organisms that prosper in habitats where life is impossible for most other organisms. They can withstand stresses, namely, high radiation, high or low pressure, pH and temperature extremes, high salt concentrations, toxic organics, heavy metals, and drought. Life under unfavorable conditions launches the adaptive responses in extremophile microorganisms, including those at cellular and molecular levels. It allows them to occupy certain ecological niches, providing high biological diversity.

A wide range of microorganisms, including many new taxa, survive and thrive under extreme conditions. These unique ecosystems offer tremendous opportunities to study the structure, function, and evolution of natural microbial communities. Extremophiles have been widely studied in the past 30 years, and our knowledge of cellular responses to stress, such as signal transduction pathways, the metabolism of compatible compounds, the activation of protective antioxidant and protein-stabilizing systems, and the adaptation of the cell plasma membrane, requires a systemic approach.

Thus, extremophiles including prokaryotes, yeasts, and fungi are valuable objects for many biotechnological applications. Scientific approaches have focused on the use of extremophile microbes and their metabolic pathways in biomonitoring and bioremediation strategies to combat environmental pollution, as well as in the development of technologies for converting microbial biomass into valuable chemical compounds and the production of biofuels. However, thus far we have limited understanding of the complex dynamic processes that typically occur in microbial habitats and how they affect the physiology, biochemistry, cell biology, and evolutionary fate of extremophiles.

The main purpose of this Special Issue is to present a collection of scientific studies reflecting current research in the field of biology and ecology of extremophile microorganisms, including work on their biodiversity and biotechnological applications. Reviews, mini-reviews, original research papers, and brief communications are welcome.

Dr. Yulia Deryabina
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • extremophiles
  • extremotolerants
  • extreme conditions
  • microbial communities
  • acidophiles
  • alkaliphiles
  • halophiles
  • psychrophiles
  • thermophiles
  • radiophiles
  • piezophiles
  • biodiversity
  • biotechnology applications
  • biomonitoring
  • bioremediation
  • biofuel production

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

31 pages, 7818 KiB  
Article
Haloalkalitolerant Fungi from Sediments of the Big Tambukan Saline Lake (Northern Caucasus): Diversity and Antimicrobial Potential
by Marina L. Georgieva, Elena N. Bilanenko, Valeria B. Ponizovskaya, Lyudmila Y. Kokaeva, Anton A. Georgiev, Tatiana A. Efimenko, Natalia N. Markelova, Anastasia E. Kuvarina and Vera S. Sadykova
Microorganisms 2023, 11(10), 2587; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11102587 - 19 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1136
Abstract
We have performed a characterization of cultivated haloalkalitolerant fungi from the sediments of Big Tambukan Lake in order to assess their biodiversity and antimicrobial activity. This saline, slightly alkaline lake is known as a source of therapeutic sulfide mud used in sanatoria of [...] Read more.
We have performed a characterization of cultivated haloalkalitolerant fungi from the sediments of Big Tambukan Lake in order to assess their biodiversity and antimicrobial activity. This saline, slightly alkaline lake is known as a source of therapeutic sulfide mud used in sanatoria of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, Russia. Though data on bacteria and algae observed in this lake are available in the literature, data on fungi adapted to the conditions of the lake are lacking. The diversity of haloalkalitolerant fungi was low and represented by ascomycetes of the genera Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chordomyces, Emericellopsis, Fusarium, Gibellulopsis, Myriodontium, Penicillium, and Pseudeurotium. Most of the fungi were characterized by moderate alkaline resistance, and they tolerated NaCl concentrations up to 10% w/v. The analysis of the antimicrobial activity of fungi showed that 87.5% of all strains were active against Bacillus subtilis, and 39.6% were also determined to be effective against Escherichia coli. The majority of the strains were also active against Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans, about 66.7% and 62.5%, respectively. These studies indicate, for the first time, the presence of polyextremotolerant fungi in the sediments of Big Tambukan Lake, which probably reflects their involvement in the formation of therapeutic muds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Diversity and Biotechnological Applications of Extremophiles)
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17 pages, 3835 KiB  
Article
Halanaerobium polyolivorans sp. nov.—A Novel Halophilic Alkalitolerant Bacterium Capable of Polyol Degradation: Physiological Properties and Genomic Insights
by Yulia Boltyanskaya, Tatjana Zhilina, Denis Grouzdev, Ekaterina Detkova, Nikolay Pimenov and Vadim Kevbrin
Microorganisms 2023, 11(9), 2325; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11092325 - 15 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 849
Abstract
A search for the microorganisms responsible for the anaerobic degradation of osmoprotectants in soda lakes resulted in the isolation of a novel halophilic and alkalitolerant strain, designated Z-7514T. The cells were Gram-stain-negative and non-endospore-forming rods. Optimal growth occurs at 1.6–2.1 M [...] Read more.
A search for the microorganisms responsible for the anaerobic degradation of osmoprotectants in soda lakes resulted in the isolation of a novel halophilic and alkalitolerant strain, designated Z-7514T. The cells were Gram-stain-negative and non-endospore-forming rods. Optimal growth occurs at 1.6–2.1 M Na+, pH 8.0–8.5, and 31–35 °C. The strain utilized mainly sugars, low molecular polyols, and ethanolamine as well. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain Z-7514T was 33.3 mol%. Phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses revealed that strain Z-7514T belongs to the genus Halanaerobium. On the basis of phenotypic properties and the dDDH and ANI values with close validly published species, it was proposed to evolve strain Z-7514T within the genus Halanaerobium into novel species, for which the name Halanaerobium polyolivorans sp. nov. was proposed. The type strain was Z-7514T (=KCTC 25405T = VKM B-3577T). For species of the genus Halanaerobium, the utilization of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and ethanolamine were shown for the first time. The anaerobic degradation of glycols and ethanolamine by strain Z-7514T may represent a novel metabiotic pathway within the alkaliphilic microbial community. Based on a detailed genomic analysis, the main pathways of catabolism of most of the used substrates have been identified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Diversity and Biotechnological Applications of Extremophiles)
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15 pages, 2529 KiB  
Article
The Role of Osmolytes and Membrane Lipids in the Adaptation of Acidophilic Fungi
by Elena A. Ianutsevich, Olga A. Danilova, Olga A. Grum-Grzhimaylo and Vera M. Tereshina
Microorganisms 2023, 11(7), 1733; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11071733 - 1 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1067
Abstract
Acidophiles maintain near-neutral intracellular pH using proton pumps. We have suggested the protective role of osmolytes and membrane lipids in the adaptation to an acidic environment. Previously we have observed, for the first time, high levels of trehalose in acidophilic basidiomycete Sistotrema brinkmannii [...] Read more.
Acidophiles maintain near-neutral intracellular pH using proton pumps. We have suggested the protective role of osmolytes and membrane lipids in the adaptation to an acidic environment. Previously we have observed, for the first time, high levels of trehalose in acidophilic basidiomycete Sistotrema brinkmannii. Here, we have studied the composition of both osmolytes and membrane lipids of two more acidophilic fungi. Trehalose and polyols were among the main osmolytes during growth under optimal conditions (pH 4.0) in basidiomycete Phlebiopsis gigantea and ascomycete Mollisia sp. Phosphatidic acids, phosphatidylethanolamines, phosphatidylcholines, and sterols, were predominant membrane lipids in both fungi. P. gigantea had a narrow optimum of growth at pH 4.0, resulting in a sharp decline of growth rate at pH 2.6 and 5.0, accompanied by a decrease in the number of osmolytes and significant changes in the composition of membrane lipids. In contrast, Mollisia sp. had a broad optimal growth range (pH 3.0–5.0), and the number of osmolytes either stayed the same (at pH 6.0) or increased (at pH 2.6), while membrane lipids composition remained unchanged. Thus, the data obtained indicate the participation of osmolytes and membrane lipids in the adaptation of acidophilic fungi. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Diversity and Biotechnological Applications of Extremophiles)
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