Department of Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Trends Ecol Evol. 2004 Mar;19(3):141-7. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2003.11.010.
Owing to their constant low temperatures, glacial ice and permafrost might contain the oldest nucleic acids and microbial cells on Earth, which could prove key to reconstructing past ecosystems and for the planning of missions to other planets. However, recent claims concerning viable cells and microbial nucleic acids obtained from ice- and permafrost cores from hundreds of thousands to millions of years old are not properly authenticated and the findings could be the result of contamination. Here, we discuss the processes that restrict the long-term survival of DNA and/or RNA molecules in ice and permafrost, and highlight sources of contamination that could result in false claims. Additionally, we present a set of precautions, controls and criteria to help ensure that future cultures and sequences are authentic.
由于其恒定的低温，冰川冰和永久冻土可能含有地球上最古老的核酸和微生物细胞，这对于重建过去的生态系统以及规划对其他行星的任务可能至关重要。然而，最近有关从数十万到数百万年前的冰芯和永冻层核心中获得的有活力的细胞和微生物核酸的说法并未得到妥善证实，这些发现可能是污染的结果。在这里，我们讨论了限制 DNA 和/或 RNA 分子在冰和永久冻土中长期存活的过程，并强调了可能导致虚假声明的污染来源。此外，我们还提出了一组预防措施、控制措施和标准，以帮助确保未来的培养物和序列是真实的。
