Microbial diversity and adaptation Strategies in the nunataks of Western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica
- 1Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU)
- 2Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University
Abstract
Antarctic soil ecosystems harbor unique microbial communities that survive under prolonged low temperatures, high UV radiation, desiccation, oligotrophic conditions and other environmental stresses. This study aimed to characterize the culturable microbial communities and explore potential adaptation strategies of microorganisms inhabiting the unique inland nunataks of the Jutulsessen and Ahlmannryggen ranges in Western Dronning Maud Land (WDML), Antarctica. Bacterial and fungal isolates representing colony morphotypes were isolated from soil samples using different growth media. Bacterial isolates were identified and characterized using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) with the MALDI BioTyper, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis. Of the 96 bacterial isolates analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS, 75 produced good-quality spectral profiles, including 13 of isolates identified down to the species level, while the remaining 62 high-quality spectral profiles, represent an important contribution to the currently limited MALDI-TOF MS reference database of Antarctic bacteria. 16S rRNA sequencing identified 37 species of bacteria belonging to several ecologically diverse genera, namely Acinetobacter, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Brevundimonas, Brachybacterium, Curtobacterium, Dermacoccus, Dietzia, Janibacter, Knoellia, Kocuria, Kytococcus, Lysinibacillus, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Methylobacterium, Moraxella, Paracoccus, Pontibacter, Pseudomonas, Pseudarthrobacter, Rhodococcus, Rothia , Sphingomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Staphylococcus . This bacterial assemblage is not only taxonomically diverse but also contains taxa with established ecological links to cold and extreme environments. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) domain sequencing indicates the presence of four fungal genera, namely Gelatinofungus, Leuconeurospora, Pseudogymnoascus, and Tolypocladium, with ecological affinity for polar environments. FAME analysis revealed a predominance of branched-chain and unsaturated fatty acids, which help maintain cellular membrane fluidity as an adaptation strategy for the harsh Antarctic environment. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that the nunatak soils of Western Dronning Maud Land harbor a diverse culturable microbial assemblage closely related to cold and extreme environments, together with fatty-acid characteristics consistent with physiological adaptation to Antarctic conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first comprehensive account of the culturable microbial communities inhabiting the nunataks of the Jutulsessen and Ahlmannryggen ranges in Western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica.
Related
- Mechanisms of unique chaotropic resistance and biocalcification in a halophilic Virgibacillus isolated from ephemeral microbial mats of the calcium-rich Don Juan pond in Antarctica
- π-MNovo improves de novo peptide sequencing through microbial-domain adaptation and evidence-guided candidate selection
- Editorial: Salt-stress-relieving and growth-promoting microbial diversity and its interaction mechanism with plant rhizosphere
- Microbial diversity, safety, and quality challenges of several commercial plant-based meat products in Thailand
- Temperature-dependent phage-bacterium coexistence strategy mediates the intestinal microbial community diversity in shrimp
BibTeX
@article{singh2026microbial,
title = {{Microbial diversity and adaptation Strategies in the nunataks of Western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica}},
author = {Purnima Singh and Shiv Mohan Singh},
journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2026.1921961},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1921961/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Microbial diversity and adaptation Strategies in the nunataks of Western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica
AU - Purnima Singh
AU - Shiv Mohan Singh
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - Frontiers in Microbiology
DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2026.1921961
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1921961/full
AB - Antarctic soil ecosystems harbor unique microbial communities that survive under prolonged low temperatures, high UV radiation, desiccation, oligotrophic conditions and other environmental stresses. This study aimed to characterize the culturable microbial communities and explore potential adaptation strategies of microorganisms inhabiting the unique inland nunataks of the Jutulsessen and Ahlmannryggen ranges in Western Dronning Maud Land (WDML), Antarctica. Bacterial and fungal isolates representing colony morphotypes were isolated from soil samples using different growth media. Bacterial isolates were identified and characterized using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) with the MALDI BioTyper, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis. Of the 96 bacterial isolates analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS, 75 produced good-quality spectral profiles, including 13 of isolates identified down to the species level, while the remaining 62 high-quality spectral profiles, represent an important contribution to the currently limited MALDI-TOF MS reference database of Antarctic bacteria. 16S rRNA sequencing identified 37 species of bacteria belonging to several ecologically diverse genera, namely Acinetobacter, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Brevundimonas, Brachybacterium, Curtobacterium, Dermacoccus, Dietzia, Janibacter, Knoellia, Kocuria, Kytococcus, Lysinibacillus, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Methylobacterium, Moraxella, Paracoccus, Pontibacter, Pseudomonas, Pseudarthrobacter, Rhodococcus, Rothia , Sphingomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Staphylococcus . This bacterial assemblage is not only taxonomically diverse but also contains taxa with established ecological links to cold and extreme environments. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) domain sequencing indicates the presence of four fungal genera, namely Gelatinofungus, Leuconeurospora, Pseudogymnoascus, and Tolypocladium, with ecological affinity for polar environments. FAME analysis revealed a predominance of branched-chain and unsaturated fatty acids, which help maintain cellular membrane fluidity as an adaptation strategy for the harsh Antarctic environment. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that the nunatak soils of Western Dronning Maud Land harbor a diverse culturable microbial assemblage closely related to cold and extreme environments, together with fatty-acid characteristics consistent with physiological adaptation to Antarctic conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first comprehensive account of the culturable microbial communities inhabiting the nunataks of the Jutulsessen and Ahlmannryggen ranges in Western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica.
SN - 1664-302X
ER -