Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
Genome Biol Evol. 2024 Aug 5;16(8). doi: 10.1093/gbe/evae160.
From hydrothermal vents, to glaciers, to deserts, research in extreme environments has reshaped our understanding of how and where life can persist. Contained within the genomes of extremophilic organisms are the blueprints for a toolkit to tackle the multitude of challenges of survival in inhospitable environments. As new sequencing technologies have rapidly developed, so too has our understanding of the molecular and genomic mechanisms that have facilitated the success of extremophiles. Although eukaryotic extremophiles remain relatively understudied compared to bacteria and archaea, an increasing number of studies have begun to leverage 'omics tools to shed light on eukaryotic life in harsh conditions. In this perspective paper, we highlight a diverse breadth of research on extremophilic lineages across the eukaryotic tree of life, from microbes to macrobes, that are collectively reshaping our understanding of molecular innovations at life's extremes. These studies are not only advancing our understanding of evolution and biological processes but are also offering a valuable roadmap on how emerging technologies can be applied to identify cellular mechanisms of adaptation to cope with life in stressful conditions, including high and low temperatures, limited water availability, and heavy metal habitats. We shed light on patterns of molecular and organismal adaptation across the eukaryotic tree of life and discuss a few promising research directions, including investigations into the role of horizontal gene transfer in eukaryotic extremophiles and the importance of increasing phylogenetic diversity of model systems.
从热液喷口到冰川再到沙漠，极端环境的研究已经改变了我们对生命能够存在和延续的方式和地点的理解。在嗜极生物的基因组中，包含了应对在恶劣环境中生存的众多挑战的工具包蓝图。随着新测序技术的快速发展，我们对促进极端微生物成功的分子和基因组机制的理解也在不断加深。尽管与细菌和古菌相比，真核嗜极生物的研究仍然相对较少，但越来越多的研究开始利用“组学”工具来揭示恶劣条件下真核生物的生活。在这篇观点文章中，我们重点介绍了在真核生物生命之树中从微生物到大型生物的各种极端适应谱系的研究，这些研究正在共同改变我们对生命极限处的分子创新的理解。这些研究不仅增进了我们对进化和生物过程的理解，还为新兴技术如何应用于识别适应压力条件（包括高温和低温、有限的水供应和重金属栖息地）的细胞机制提供了有价值的路线图。我们揭示了真核生物生命之树中分子和生物体适应的模式，并讨论了一些有前途的研究方向，包括研究水平基因转移在真核嗜极生物中的作用以及增加模型系统的系统发育多样性的重要性。
