Cold adaptation and horizontal gene transfer shape Antarctic sponge microbiomes
Antarctic sponge microbiomes exhibit higher proportions of functional adaptations for cold environments facilitated by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). These findings highlight the evolutionary importance of HGT mechanisms in shaping microbial symbioses in extreme environments. Further exploration of HGT dynamics and the role of specific symbionts in cold adaptation could reveal novel insights into microbial evolution and host-symbiont interactions in polar ecosystems. Video Abstract.
Authors
- Nicole Trefault (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4388-6791)
- Sebastián Abades (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5704-4037)
- María F. Manrique-de-la-Cuba (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0061-3355)
- Marileyxis R. López-Rodríguez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0641-7723)
Institutions
- Universidad Mayor (CL)
- Millennium Science Initiative (CL)
- Center for Dynamic Research on High Latitude Marine Ecosystems (CL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Microbiome
- Published
- 2025-11-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-025-02262-z
- Primary Topic
- Marine Sponges and Natural Products
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00