Intact polar lipidome and membrane adaptations of microbial communities inhabiting serpentinite-hosted fluids.

ABSTRACT: The generation of hydrogen and reduced carbon compounds during serpentinization provides sustained energy for microorganisms on Earth, and possibly on other extraterrestrial bodies (e.g., Mars, icy satellites). However, the geochemical conditions that arise from water-rock reaction also challenge the known limits of microbial physiology, such as hyperalkaline pH, limited electron acceptors and inorganic carbon. Because cell membranes act as a primary barrier between a cell and its environment, lipids are a vital component in microbial acclimation to challenging physicochemical conditions. To probe the diversity of cell membrane lipids produced in serpentinizing settings and identify membrane adaptations to this environment, we conducted the first comprehensive intact polar lipid (IPL) biom

SUBMITTER: Rempfert KR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10667739 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature