Carrera de Bioquímica y Farmacia, Unidad de Salud y Bienestar, Universidad Católica de Cuenca, Av. Las Américas y Calle Humboldt, Cuenca, Ecuador.
Centro de Investigación, Innovación y Transferencia de Tecnología (CIITT), Universidad Católica de Cuenca. Campus Miracielos, Ricaurte, Ecuador.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2020 Apr;104(8):3267-3278. doi: 10.1007/s00253-020-10468-4. Epub 2020 Feb 19.
Even though they are among the most extreme environments in which life can develop, glaciers are colonized by metabolically active microbes, some of which thrive-in their own particular way-under the prevailing harsh conditions. Glacial or periglacial microbes are often psychrophiles since they are able to grow optimally at low temperatures. This ability has evolved through a series of adaptations, both molecular and physiological, some of which have been exploited by the biotechnological industry to develop useful products and processes. The recent discovery of cold-adapted plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) in glacial ice or periglacial soils has opened a gate to a new trove of applications due to their potential use as biofertilizers or biocontrol agents, effective in cold climates. It has been claimed that this would be of profit to increase agriculture productivity in hilly terrains, like those prevailing in the Andes or the Himalayas, since-in addition to their ability to promote plant growth through direct or indirect mechanisms-they represent an environmentally friendly alternative to the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. In the following chapter, I summarize the current knowledge on the identity and characteristics of such PGPM and highlight the experiences in promoting the growth of a few plant species, at low temperatures.Key Points•Countless microbes are immured in glaciers and their surroundings.•Many glacial and periglacial microbes are cold-loving (i.e., psychrophiles).•Some glacial and periglacial psychrophiles promote plant growth and development.•Plant growth-promoting psychrophiles can be used to develop biofertilizers.
尽管它们是生命能够发展的最极端环境之一，但冰川却被新陈代谢活跃的微生物所占据，其中一些微生物在其独特的方式下在恶劣的环境中茁壮成长。冰川或冰缘微生物通常是嗜冷菌，因为它们能够在低温下最佳生长。这种能力是通过一系列的适应进化而来的，包括分子和生理适应，其中一些已经被生物技术行业利用来开发有用的产品和工艺。最近在冰川冰或冰缘土壤中发现了冷适应植物生长促进微生物（PGPM），由于它们作为生物肥料或生物防治剂的潜在用途，在寒冷气候下有效，这为新的应用领域开辟了一扇大门。有人声称，这将有利于增加丘陵地形的农业生产力，就像安第斯山脉或喜马拉雅山脉那样，因为除了通过直接或间接机制促进植物生长的能力外，它们代表了对农药和化肥使用的环保替代方案。在接下来的章节中，我总结了这些 PGPM 的身份和特征的现有知识，并强调了促进一些植物物种在低温下生长的经验。
关键点
• 无数微生物被禁锢在冰川及其周围。
• 许多冰川和冰缘微生物喜欢寒冷（即嗜冷菌）。
• 一些冰川和冰缘嗜冷菌促进植物的生长和发育。
• 植物生长促进的嗜冷菌可用于开发生物肥料。
