Ancient bacteria show evidence of DNA repair

Sarah Stewart Johnson; Martin B. Hebsgaard; Torben R. Christensen; Mikhail Mastepanov; Rasmus Nielsen; Kasper Munch; Tina Brand; M. Thomas P. Gilbert; Maria T. Zuber; Michael Bunce; Regin Rønn; David Gilichinsky; Duane Froese; Eske Willerslev

doi:10.1073/pnas.0706787104

Ancient bacteria show evidence of DNA repair

Sarah Stewart Johnson, Martin B. Hebsgaard, Torben R. Christensen, Mikhail Mastepanov, Rasmus Nielsen, Kasper Munch, Tina Brand, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Maria T. Zuber, Michael Bunce, Regin Rønn, David Gilichinsky, Duane Froese, Eske Willerslev^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

210 Citations (Scopus)

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.

Original language	English
Journal	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
Volume	104
Issue	36
Pages (from-to)	14401-14405
Number of pages	5
ISSN	0027-8424
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0706787104
Publication status	Published - 2007
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

DNA damage
Long-term microbial survival
Metabolic activity

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10.1073/pnas.0706787104

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Johnson, S. S., Hebsgaard, M. B., Christensen, T. R., Mastepanov, M., Nielsen, R., Munch, K., Brand, T., Gilbert, M. T. P., Zuber, M. T., Bunce, M., Rønn, R., Gilichinsky, D., Froese, D., & Willerslev, E. (2007). Ancient bacteria show evidence of DNA repair. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 104(36), 14401-14405. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0706787104

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title = "Ancient bacteria show evidence of DNA repair",

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.",

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doi = "10.1073/pnas.0706787104",

language = "English",

volume = "104",

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Ancient bacteria show evidence of DNA repair. / Johnson, Sarah Stewart; Hebsgaard, Martin B.; Christensen, Torben R. et al.
In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Vol. 104, No. 36, 2007, p. 14401-14405.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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AU - Johnson, Sarah Stewart

AU - Hebsgaard, Martin B.

AU - Christensen, Torben R.

AU - Mastepanov, Mikhail

AU - Nielsen, Rasmus

AU - Munch, Kasper

AU - Brand, Tina

AU - Gilbert, M. Thomas P.

AU - Zuber, Maria T.

AU - Bunce, Michael

AU - Rønn, Regin

AU - Gilichinsky, David

AU - Froese, Duane

AU - Willerslev, Eske

PY - 2007

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N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

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Ancient bacteria show evidence of DNA repair

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Keywords

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