Contribution to the study of the present and past diversity of Antarctic cyanobacteria Rafael Fernández Carazo July 2011 Dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor (PhD) in Sciences. Promotor: Dr. Annick Wilmotte University of Liège. Faculty of Sciences. Department of Life Sciences. Centre for Protein Engineering. 1 Printed: Centre for Protein Engineering. Fernandez-Carazo, R. (2011) Contribution to the study of the present and past diversity of Antarctic cyanobacteria. PhD Thesis. University of Liège. Publicly defended in Liège, July 1, 2011. This PhD work was financially supported by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BelsPO), the Foundation Alfonso Martin Escudero (Spain) and the University of Liège. 2 Examination committee Prof. Jacques Piette (President) V irology and Immunology Unit. GIGA-R. University of Liege. Liege. Belgium. Dr. Annick Wilmotte (Promotor) CIP. University of Liege. Liege. Belgium. Prof. Vincent Demoulin Algology, mycology and experimental systematics. Department of Botany. University of Liege. Liege. Belgium. Prof. Bernard Joris Bacterial physiology and genetics. CIP. University of Liege. Liege. Belgium. Prof. Jacques Coyette Bacterial physiology and genetics. CIP. University of Liege. Liege. Belgium. Dr. Elie Verleyen Protistology and aquatic ecology. University of Ghent. Ghent. Belgium. Dr. Anne Jungblut Department of Botany. The Natural History Museum. London. United Kingdom. 3 4 Curriculum vitae Curriculum vitae Personal Rafael Fernández Carazo. Born May 22 nd 1976. Bachelor of Pharmacy . University of Granada (1994-1999). Advanced Masters Degree ( DEA ) in “Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Microbiology”. University of Granada (2002-2003). List of publications Accepted Fernández-Carazo, R., Hodgson D.A., Convey, P., Wilmotte, A. (2011). Low cyanobacterial diversity in biotopes of the Transantarctic Mountains and Shackleton Range (80-82ºS), Antarctica. FEMS Microbiology Ecology . Fernández-Carazo, R., Namsaraev, Z., Mano, M.J., Ertz, D., Wilmotte, A. Cyanobacterial diversity for an anthropogenic impact assessment in the Sør Rondane area (Antarctica). Antarctic science . Namsaraev, Z., Mano, M.J., Fernández-Carazo, R., Wilmotte, A. (2011). Biogeography of terrestrial cyanobacteria from Antarctic ice-free areas. Annals of Glaciology . 51: 171-177 Hodgson D., Convey, P., Verleyen, E., Vyverman, W., McInnes, S., Sands, C., Fernández- Carazo, R., Wilmotte, A., Peeters, K., Willems, A. (2010). Observations on the limnology and biology of the Dufek Massif, Transantarctic Mountains 82° South.. Polar Science. doi:10.1016/j.polar.2010.04.003. Fernández-Carazo, R., Wilmotte, A. Ancient cyanobacterial DNA from sediment cores at Beak Island (Antarctic Peninsula): Challenges for a molecular approach. IPY Proceedings’ book . In press. 309 Curriculum vitae In preparation Fernández-Carazo, R., Gibson, J.A.E., Wilmotte, A. A compilation of molecular studies (16S rRNA) of Antarctic lacustrine cyanobacteria, including new data from the Mac.Robertson Land and Kemp Land. Fernández-Carazo, R., Verleyen, E., Hodgson, D.A., Roberts, J.R., Vyverman, W., Wilmotte, A. Holocene changes in cyanobacterial communities in Maritime Antarctic lake sediments. Popularization articles Des cyanobactéries découvertes près du Pôle Sud . Popularization article in the electronic journal of the University of Liege “ Reflexions” (written by the Journalists) (http://reflexions.ulg.ac.be/cms/c_27953/des-cyanobacteries-decouvertes-pres-du-pole- sud). Papers not related to this thesis Pereira, P.J., Vega, M.C., Gonzalez-Rey, E., Fernández-Carazo, R., Macedo-Ribeiro, S., Gomis-Ruth, F.X., Gonzalez, A., Coll, M. (2002). Trypanosoma cruzi macrophage infectivity potentiator has a rotamase core and a highly exposed alpha-helix. EMBO Reports . 3(1): 88-94. Argandoña, M., Fernández-Carazo, R., Llamas, I., Martinez-Checa, F., Caba, J.M., Quesada, E., del Moral, A. (2005) The moderately halophilic bacterium Halomonas maura is a free-living diazotroph. FEMS letters . 244(1):69-74. Selected communications to conferences Oral presentations A Belgian collection of polar cyanobacterial: novel diversity and pharmaceutical screening of isolates. Fernández-Carazo, R., Lassence, C., Taton, A., Vincent, W., Storms, V., Marinelli, F., Wilmotte, A. 24 November 2006. Bruxelles (Belgium) Belgian Society for Microbiology (BSM) “Novel Compounds and strategies to combat pathogenic microorganisms” Diversity and distribution of cyanobacterial in Antarctica. Fernández-Carazo, R., Zakhia, F., Taton, A., Verleyen, E., Vyverman, W., Hodgson, D.A., Wilmotte, A. 25-29 June 2007. Merida (Mexico). 17th Symposium of the International Association for Cyanophyte Research. 310 Curriculum vitae Cyanobacterial diversity and distribution in the very extreme environments of the Pensacola Mountains (82°S, Antarctica). Fernández-Carazo, R., Hodgson, D., Wilmotte, A. 15 December 2006. Gembleux (Belgium). Ecole doctorale « Biodiversité, Ecologie et Evolution » PhD students’ day. Posters Exploring the Holocene through fossil cyanobacterial sequences from Antarctic lake sediments. Fernández-Carazo, R., Waleron, K., Hodgson, D.A.,Verleyen, E., Vyverman, W., Wilmotte, A. 26-31 July 2009. Sapporo (Japon). 10th SCAR Biology Symposium. Baseline data on cyanobacterial diversity near the new Princess Elizabeth Antarctic research station. Fernández-Carazo, R., Namsaraev Z., Ertz D., Mano MJ., Wilmotte A. 26-31 July 2009. Sapporo (Japon). 10th SCAR Biology Symposium. Biogeographical distribution and diversity of cyanobacteria in Antarctica, a polyphasic approach. Wilmotte, A., De Carvalho Maalouf, P., Zakhia, F., Taton, A. , Fernández- Carazo, R., Mano, MJ. , Namsaraev, Z., De Wever, A., Verleyen, E. 14 August 2009. Montreal (Canada). 13 th International Symposium on Phototrophic Prokaryotes. Cyanobacterial diversity in the Transantarctic Mountains (Antarctica). Fernández-Carazo R., Hodgson D., Wilmotte A. 31 August-4 September 2008. České Bud ějovice (Czech Republic). 7th European Workshop on the Molecular Biology of Cyanobacteria. Fossil cyanobacterial sequences in Antarctic lake sediments. Fernández-Carazo R., Waleron K., Hodgson D., Verleyen E., Vyverman W, Wilmotte A. 31 August-4 September 2008. České Bud ějovice (Czech Republic). 7th European Workshop on the Molecular Biology of Cyanobacteria. Cyanobacterial diversity at Utsteinen: The impact of the “zero emission” research station in Antarctica. Fernández-Carazo, R; Ertz, D., Wilmotte, A. 11 October 2007. Liège (Belgium). 11 th Bioforum. Forlidas Pond and Lundström lake: cyanobacterial diversity in the Antartctic at 82ºS. Fernández-Carazo, R., Hodgson, D., Wilmotte, A. 9-13 June 2007. Roscoff (France). Environmental genomics: from individual genomes to genomes of complex communities. Antarctic cyanobacterial communities: baseline data on their diversity and distribution. Fernández-Carazo, R., Zakhia, F., Taton, A., Wilmotte, A. 21-22 Mai 2007. Brussels (Belgium). Belgian Biodiversity Platform conference: Biodiversity and Climate Change. 311 Curriculum vitae Cyanobacterial diversity in “extremely extreme” environments of the Pensacola Mountains (82°S, Antarctica). Fernández-Carazo, R., Hodgson, D., Wilmotte, A. 28 August 2006. Pau (France). ISPP. 12 th International Symposium on Phototrophic Prokaryotes. Do you like this place to live? Cyanobacterial diversity in extreme environments of the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica (82°S). Fernández-Carazo, R., Hodgson, D., Wilmotte, A. 17 May 2006. Liège (Belgium). 10 th Bioforum. Prize “Original research”. Cyanobacterial diversity in extreme environments of the Pensacola Mountains (Transantarctic Mountains). Fernández-Carazo, R., Hodgson, D., Wilmotte, A) 23-25 Mars 2006. Brussels (Belgium). Be-Poles Workshop. Courses, memberships and prizes. Participation in the research projects HOLANT (BELSPO SD/CA/01A), AMBIO (BELSPO SD/BA/01A), and collaboration in the research projet BCCM (BELSPO C3/00/14) and the expertise pole « ANTAR-IMPACT» (www.antar- impact.ulg.ac.be) Determination Course of Freshwater and Terrestrial Cyanobacteria. University? České Bud ějovice (Czech Republic). 24-28 July 2006. Bioinformatics course “ BIO-computing with BEN ”. Belgian EMBnet Node. March 2006.Bruxelles. Prize “Original research” at the 10 th Bioforum , Liège (Belgium). Granted by the biotechnology company “Eurogentec”. Member of Belgian Society for Microbiology ( BSM ) (2006-2010). 312 Table of content ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS………………………………………………………9 RESUMÉ………………………………………………………………………..…….…13 PART 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION………………………………………………….…15 1. History of the Antarctic continent ............................................................................17 1.1. The Antarctic expeditions. ....................................................................................17 1.2. The Antarctic Treaty and the International Polar years. ......................................18 1.2.1. Antarctic Treaty. .............................................................................................18 1.2.2 International Polar Years. ............................................................................20 2. The Antarctic continent. ...........................................................................................21 2.1 Extreme continent. .............................................................................................21 2.2. Biogeographical zones. .....................................................................................23 2.3. Ice free areas