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Searching for eukaryotic life preserved in Antarctic permafrost

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Abstract

Fungi and yeasts isolated in pure culture from Antarctic permafrost collected at different depths in the McMurdo Dry Valleys were identified with cultural, physiological and molecular methods. Fungi belonged to the genera Penicillium, Eurotium, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Engyodonthium, Aureobasidium, Cordyceps, Rhizopus and yeasts to the genera Cryptococcus and Sporidiobolus. All the strains can be defined as mesophilic psychrotolerant. The molecular analyses revealed that these fungal genotypes do not deviate from the global gene pool of fungi commonly spreading worldwide at present, but possible ancestral strains have been found on the base of metabolic profiles.

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Acknowledgments

These studies were carried out within the framework of the Italian National Programme for Research in Antarctica (PNRA). Authors deeply thank Prof. Ann Vaughan-Martini for her precious scientific and technical skill in the course of the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Ecologiche e Biologiche, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Largo dell’Università snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy

    L. Zucconi, L. Selbmann & S. Onofri

  2. Dipartimento di Biologia Applicata e Collezione Industriale dei Lieviti DBVPG, Università di Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121, Perugia, Italy

    P. Buzzini & B. Turchetti

  3. Dipartimento di Biologia Funzionale e Strutturale, Università dell’Insubria, via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100, Varese, Italy

    M. Guglielmin

  4. Center for Microbial Biotechnology, Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Building 221, Søltofts Plads, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark

    J. C. Frisvad

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  1. L. Zucconi
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  2. L. Selbmann
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  7. S. Onofri
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Correspondence to L. Zucconi.

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Zucconi, L., Selbmann, L., Buzzini, P. et al. Searching for eukaryotic life preserved in Antarctic permafrost. Polar Biol 35, 749–757 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1119-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1119-6

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