Cross-domain transfer of trehalose biosynthesis genes contributes to adaptation in high-altitude environments

Abstract High altitudes pose extreme survival challenges for organisms, yet the origins and molecular strategies underlying their resilience remain poorly understood. Here, we report the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms underlying stress resilience in Apourosomoida sp. LHA081A01, a ciliate isolated from a high-altitude Tibetan salt lake that endures high salinity, low temperature, and hypoxia. We identified TreT glycosyltransferases, acquired through horizontal gene transfer from an anaerobic and halophilic Desulfobacteraceae bacterium, to be involved in the synthesis of α,α-trehalose—a universal protein stabilizer absent in most other ciliates but essential for counteracting multiple environmental stressors. Additional strategies include β-carotene accumulation to mitigate oxidative stress from hypoxia, along with numerous others common to many eukaryotes. Extensive gene family expansions and rapid divergence of stress‑responsive genes underscore their evolutionary significance and critical role in surviving harsh habitats. Intolerance to low salinity may render this ciliate, and other protists, vulnerable to climate‑driven salinity declines in Tibetan salt lakes. Together, these extraordinary features—shaped by horizontal gene transfer, natural selection, and regulatory plasticity—position high-altitude microbial eukaryotes as powerful extremophile models for uncovering the molecular mechanisms of stress resilience and adaptive evolution across life.

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Publication Details

Journal
National Science Review
Published
2026-02-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwag117
Primary Topic
Protist diversity and phylogeny
Type
article
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article

Cross-domain transfer of trehalose biosynthesis genes contributes to adaptation in high-altitude environments

Xuetao Zhang, Hongan Long, Zhiqiang Ye, Jingyi Huang et al.
National Science Review
Protist diversity and phylogeny
article

Cross-domain transfer of trehalose biosynthesis genes contributes to adaptation in high-altitude environments

Xuetao Zhang, Hongan Long, Zhiqiang Ye, Jingyi Huang, Xiaopeng Shen, Xunrong Li, Jiahao Ni, Yaohai Wang, Rebecca A. Zufall, Miao Tian, Jiao Pan, Xu Zhou, Weiyi Li, Gongchao Jing, Lijian Liao, Ziguang Deng, Lingyun Chen, Xuming Pan, C. Q. Feng, Y. P. Zhang, Hongwei Yue, Xiangrui Chen, Pin Zhou, Chao Gao, Dongji Yao, Lin Zhang, Jia Zhang, Ruobing Feng, Ying Yan, Yumin Han, Zhirong Zhang, Yang Bai, Michael Lynch
article en

Abstract

Abstract High altitudes pose extreme survival challenges for organisms, yet the origins and molecular strategies underlying their resilience remain poorly understood. Here, we report the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms underlying stress resilience in Apourosomoida sp. LHA081A01, a ciliate isolated from a high-altitude Tibetan salt lake that endures high salinity, low temperature, and hypoxia. We identified TreT glycosyltransferases, acquired through horizontal gene transfer from an anaerobic and halophilic Desulfobacteraceae bacterium, to be involved in the synthesis of α,α-trehalose—a universal protein stabilizer absent in most other ciliates but essential for counteracting multiple environmental stressors. Additional strategies include β-carotene accumulation to mitigate oxidative stress from hypoxia, along with numerous others common to many eukaryotes. Extensive gene family expansions and rapid divergence of stress‑responsive genes underscore their evolutionary significance and critical role in surviving harsh habitats. Intolerance to low salinity may render this ciliate, and other protists, vulnerable to climate‑driven salinity declines in Tibetan salt lakes. Together, these extraordinary features—shaped by horizontal gene transfer, natural selection, and regulatory plasticity—position high-altitude microbial eukaryotes as powerful extremophile models for uncovering the molecular mechanisms of stress resilience and adaptive evolution across life.

National Science Review
Ningbo University (CN), Inner Mongolia Agricultural University (CN), Harbin Normal University (CN), Inner Mongolia University (CN), Central China Normal University (CN), Institute of Hydrobiology (CN), Cell Biotech (South Korea) (KR), Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (CN), Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (ES), Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (CZ), Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (CN), University of Houston (US), Anhui Normal University (CN), Arizona State University (US), Ocean University of China (CN), Northwest Normal University (CN), Stanford University (US)
Climate action
Openalex Percentile: Top 43%
Protist diversity and phylogeny
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