Journal article
Ancient bacteria show evidence of DNA repair
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol.104(36), pp.14401-14405
2007
Abstract
Recent claims of cultivable ancient bacteria within sealed environments highlight our limited understanding of the mechanisms behind long-term cell survival. It remains unclear how dormancy, a favored explanation for extended cellular persistence, can cope with spontaneous genomic decay over geological timescales. There has been no direct evidence in ancient microbes for the most likely mechanism, active DNA repair, or for the metabolic activity necessary to sustain it. In this paper, we couple PCR and enzymatic treatment of DNA with direct respiration measurements to investigate long-term survival of bacteria sealed in frozen conditions for up to one million years. Our results show evidence of bacterial survival in samples up to half a million years in age, making this the oldest independently authenticated DNA to date obtained from viable cells. Additionally, we find strong evidence that this long-term survival is closely tied to cellular metabolic activity and DNA repair that over time proves to be superior to dormancy as a mechanism in sustaining bacteria viability
Details
- Title
- Ancient bacteria show evidence of DNA repair
- Authors/Creators
- S. S. Johnson (Author/Creator)M. B. Hebsgaard (Author/Creator)T. R. Christensen (Author/Creator) - Ecosystem (Spain)M. Mastepanov (Author/Creator) - Ecosystem (Spain)R. Nielsen (Author/Creator)K. Munch (Author/Creator)T. Brand (Author/Creator)M. T. P. Gilbert (Author/Creator)M. T. Zuber (Author/Creator)M. Bunce (Author/Creator)R. Ronn (Author/Creator)D. Gilichinsky (Author/Creator)D. Froese (Author/Creator)E. Willerslev (Author/Creator)
- Publication Details
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol.104(36), pp.14401-14405
- Publisher
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Identifiers
- 991005545397707891
- Copyright
- © 2007 Johnson et al
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Note
- Freely available online through the PNAS open access option
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
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- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.83 Bioengineering
- 3.83.167 Microbial Diversity
- Web Of Science research areas
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
- ESI research areas
- Biology & Biochemistry