Microbial Ecology from the Himalayan Cryosphere Perspective

Cold-adapted microorganisms represent a large fraction of biomass on Earth because of the dominance of low-temperature environments. Extreme cold environments are mainly dependent on microbial activities because this climate restricts higher plants and animals. Himalaya is one of the most important...

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Main Authors: Kusum Dhakar, Anita Pandey
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-02-01
Series:Microorganisms
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/2/257
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spelling doaj-54f64d1ce1f44aa1aa8381178defd3e82020-11-25T02:37:02ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072020-02-018225710.3390/microorganisms8020257microorganisms8020257Microbial Ecology from the Himalayan Cryosphere PerspectiveKusum Dhakar0Anita Pandey1Newe Ya’ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Ramat Yishay 30095, IsraelDepartment of Biotechnology, Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), Bell Road, Clement Town, Dehradun 248002, IndiaCold-adapted microorganisms represent a large fraction of biomass on Earth because of the dominance of low-temperature environments. Extreme cold environments are mainly dependent on microbial activities because this climate restricts higher plants and animals. Himalaya is one of the most important cold environments on Earth as it shares climatic similarities with the polar regions. It includes a wide range of ecosystems, from temperate to extreme cold, distributed along the higher altitudes. These regions are characterized as stressful environments because of the heavy exposure to harmful rays, scarcity of nutrition, and freezing conditions. The microorganisms that colonize these regions are recognized as cold-tolerant (psychrotolerants) or/and cold-loving (psychrophiles) microorganisms. These microorganisms possess several structural and functional adaptations in order to perform normal life processes under the stressful low-temperature environments. Their biological activities maintain the nutrient flux in the environment and contribute to the global biogeochemical cycles. Limited culture-dependent and culture-independent studies have revealed their diversity in community structure and functional potential. Apart from the ecological importance, these microorganisms have been recognized as source of cold-active enzymes and novel bioactive compounds of industrial and biotechnological importance. Being an important part of the cryosphere, Himalaya needs to be explored at different dimensions related to the life of the inhabiting extremophiles. The present review discusses the distinct facts associated with microbial ecology from the Himalayan cryosphere perspective.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/2/257cryospherehimalayamicrobial communitiescold tolerant microorganisms
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Kusum Dhakar
Anita Pandey
spellingShingle Kusum Dhakar
Anita Pandey
Microbial Ecology from the Himalayan Cryosphere Perspective
Microorganisms
cryosphere
himalaya
microbial communities
cold tolerant microorganisms
author_facet Kusum Dhakar
Anita Pandey
author_sort Kusum Dhakar
title Microbial Ecology from the Himalayan Cryosphere Perspective
title_short Microbial Ecology from the Himalayan Cryosphere Perspective
title_full Microbial Ecology from the Himalayan Cryosphere Perspective
title_fullStr Microbial Ecology from the Himalayan Cryosphere Perspective
title_full_unstemmed Microbial Ecology from the Himalayan Cryosphere Perspective
title_sort microbial ecology from the himalayan cryosphere perspective
publisher MDPI AG
series Microorganisms
issn 2076-2607
publishDate 2020-02-01
description Cold-adapted microorganisms represent a large fraction of biomass on Earth because of the dominance of low-temperature environments. Extreme cold environments are mainly dependent on microbial activities because this climate restricts higher plants and animals. Himalaya is one of the most important cold environments on Earth as it shares climatic similarities with the polar regions. It includes a wide range of ecosystems, from temperate to extreme cold, distributed along the higher altitudes. These regions are characterized as stressful environments because of the heavy exposure to harmful rays, scarcity of nutrition, and freezing conditions. The microorganisms that colonize these regions are recognized as cold-tolerant (psychrotolerants) or/and cold-loving (psychrophiles) microorganisms. These microorganisms possess several structural and functional adaptations in order to perform normal life processes under the stressful low-temperature environments. Their biological activities maintain the nutrient flux in the environment and contribute to the global biogeochemical cycles. Limited culture-dependent and culture-independent studies have revealed their diversity in community structure and functional potential. Apart from the ecological importance, these microorganisms have been recognized as source of cold-active enzymes and novel bioactive compounds of industrial and biotechnological importance. Being an important part of the cryosphere, Himalaya needs to be explored at different dimensions related to the life of the inhabiting extremophiles. The present review discusses the distinct facts associated with microbial ecology from the Himalayan cryosphere perspective.
topic cryosphere
himalaya
microbial communities
cold tolerant microorganisms
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/2/257
work_keys_str_mv AT kusumdhakar microbialecologyfromthehimalayancryosphereperspective
AT anitapandey microbialecologyfromthehimalayancryosphereperspective
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