Dataset Information

Metabolic fingerprints of Serratia liquefaciens under simulated Martian conditions using Biolog GN2 microarrays.

ABSTRACT: Microorganisms growing at atmospheric pressures of 0.7 kPa may have a significant impact on the search for life on Mars. Data on their nutrient requirements in a simulated Martian environment are required to ascertain both the potential risk of forward contamination and the potential of past or present habitability of Mars. Serratia liquefaciens can grow at concomitant conditions of low pressure, low temperature, and anoxic atmosphere. Changes in the metabolic fingerprint of S. liquefaciens grown under varying physical conditions including diverse atmospheric pressures (0.7 kPa to 101.3 kPa), temperatures (30?°C or 0?°C), and atmospheric gas compositions (Earth or CO₂) were investigated using Biolog GN2 assays. Distinct patterns for each condition were observed. Above 10 kPa S. liquefaciens performed similar to Earth-normal pressure conditions (101.3 kPa) whereas below 10 kPa shifts in metabolic patterns were observed. The differences indicated a physiological alteration in which S. liquefaciens lost its ability to metabolize the majority of the provided carbon sources at 0.7 kPa with a significant decrease in the oxidation of amino acids. By measuring the physiological responses to different carbon sources we were able to identify nutritional constraints that support cellular replication under simulated shallow Mars subsurface conditions.

SUBMITTER: Schwendner P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6200771 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Metabolic fingerprints of Serratia liquefaciens under simulated Martian conditions using Biolog GN2 microarrays.

Schwendner Petra P Schuerger Andrew C AC

Scientific reports 20181024 1

Microorganisms growing at atmospheric pressures of 0.7 kPa may have a significant impact on the search for life on Mars. Data on their nutrient requirements in a simulated Martian environment are required to ascertain both the potential risk of forward contamination and the potential of past or present habitability of Mars. Serratia liquefaciens can grow at concomitant conditions of low pressure, low temperature, and anoxic atmosphere. Changes in the metabolic fingerprint of S. liquefaciens grow ...[more]

PMID: 30356072

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Project description:Nitrate-dependent Fe2+ oxidation (NDFO) is a microbially mediated process observed in many anaerobic, low-nutrient (oligotrophic) neutral-alkaline environments on Earth, which describes oxidation of Fe2+ to Fe3+ in tandem with microbial nitrate reduction. Evidence suggests that similar environments existed on Mars during the Noachian epoch (4.1-3.7 Ga) and in periodic, localised environments more recently, indicating that NDFO metabolism could have played a role in a potential early martian biosphere. In this paper, three NDFO microorganisms, Acidovorax sp. strain BoFeN1, Pseudogulbenkiania sp. strain 2002 and Paracoccus sp. strain KS1, were assessed for their ability to grow oligotrophically in simulated martian brines and in a minimal medium with olivine as a solid Fe2+ source. These simulant-derived media were developed from modelled fluids based on the geochemistry of Mars sample locations at Rocknest (contemporary Mars soil), Paso Robles (sulphur-rich soil), Haematite Slope (haematite-rich soil) and a Shergottite meteorite (common basalt). The Shergottite medium was able to support growth of all three organisms, while the contemporary Mars medium supported growth of Acidovorax sp. strain BoFeN1 and Pseudogulbenkiania sp. strain 2002; however, growth was not accompanied by significant Fe2+ oxidation. Each of the strains was also able to grow in oligotrophic minimal media with olivine as the sole Fe2+ source. Biomineralised cells of Pseudogulbenkiania sp. strain 2002 were identified on the surface of the olivine, representing a potential biosignature for NDFO microorganisms in martian samples. The results suggest that NDFO microorganisms could have thrived in early martian groundwaters under oligotrophic conditions, depending on the local lithology. This can guide missions in identifying palaeoenvironments of interest for biosignature detection. Indeed, biomineralised cells identified on the olivine surface provide a previously unexplored mechanism for the preservation of morphological biosignatures in the martian geological record.

Dataset Information

Metabolic fingerprints of Serratia liquefaciens under simulated Martian conditions using Biolog GN2 microarrays.

Publications

Metabolic fingerprints of Serratia liquefaciens under simulated Martian conditions using Biolog GN2 microarrays.

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