Ancient bacteria show evidence of DNA repair.

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

156 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 Science of the United States of America
Volume	104
Issue number	36
Pages (from-to)	14401-5
Number of pages	4
ISSN	0027-8424
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0706787104
Publication status	Published - 2007

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Johnson, S. S., Hebsgaard, M. B., Christensen, T. R., Mastepanov, M., Nielsen, R., Munch, K., Brand, T., Gilbert, T., 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 Science of the United States of America, 104(36), 14401-5. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0706787104

Johnson, SS, Hebsgaard, MB, Christensen, TR, Mastepanov, M, Nielsen, R, Munch, K, Brand, T, Gilbert, T, Zuber, MT, Bunce, M, Rønn, R, Gilichinsky, D, Froese, D & Willerslev, E 2007, 'Ancient bacteria show evidence of DNA repair.', Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America, vol. 104, no. 36, pp. 14401-5. 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.",

author = "Johnson, {Sarah Stewart} and Hebsgaard, {Martin B} and Christensen, {Torben R} and Mikhail Mastepanov and Rasmus Nielsen and Kasper Munch and Tina Brand and Tom Gilbert and Zuber, {Maria T} and Michael Bunce and Regin R{\o}nn and David Gilichinsky and Duane Froese and Eske Willerslev",

note = "Keywords: Bacteria; Base Sequence; DNA Repair; DNA, Bacterial; Gene Amplification; Molecular Sequence Data; Soil Microbiology",

year = "2007",

doi = "10.1073/pnas.0706787104",

language = "English",

volume = "104",

pages = "14401--5",

journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Ancient bacteria show evidence of DNA repair.

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, Tom

AU - Zuber, Maria T

AU - Bunce, Michael

AU - Rønn, Regin

AU - Gilichinsky, David

AU - Froese, Duane

AU - Willerslev, Eske

N1 - Keywords: Bacteria; Base Sequence; DNA Repair; DNA, Bacterial; Gene Amplification; Molecular Sequence Data; Soil Microbiology

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

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.

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.0706787104

DO - 10.1073/pnas.0706787104

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 17728401

SN - 0027-8424

VL - 104

SP - 14401

EP - 14405

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

IS - 36

ER -

Ancient bacteria show evidence of DNA repair.

Abstract

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