Archaea

Thematic Issue

Whether interested in the evolution of life, the adaptations that allow organisms to thrive in extreme environments, global carbon and nitrogen cycles, or the influence of the microbiome on human health, one must first gain a solid understanding of the archaea.

During the past three decades, since Carl Woese proposed that there are two, rather than one, prokaryotic domains of of life, improvements in existing technologies and the development of new genetic systems have facilitated studies that have significantly enhanced understanding of the molecular biology and physiology of the diverse array of archaeal phyla. Metagenomics studies, facilitated by advances in DNA sequencing, have recently led to the identification of several novel archaeal phyla, and suggested a reevaluation of the evolutionary relationship between archaea and eukaryotes. Furthermore, these studies have detected previously unknown metabolic capabilities in certain archaeal phyla. For example, the Bathyarchaeota, generalists highly abundant in anaerobic environments, can apparently produce methane, which was previously thought to be limited to the methanogens of the euryarchaea. Finally, studies performed in archaea have not only clarified the mechanisms underlying archaeal biology but also revealed the important roles played by these mechanisms in the bacteria and eukaryotes. 

Besides papers on crucial cellular processes ranging from DNA replication, repair and silencing, to RNA processing and cell surface biogenesis, this collection also includes papers on mechanisms that allow archaea to thrive in extreme environments, and how our improved understanding of these mechanisms can benefit the biotech industry, potentially leading to novel products ranging from improved drug delivery systems to more efficient biofuel production systems. Recent studies in archaea have also suggested that better genetic tools can be developed. For example, CRISPR and the Argonaut DNA silencing system, recently discovered in hyperthermophilic archaea, might supplement, or replace, current gene knockout strategies. We have gained significant new and surprising insights into the archaea in recent years, suggesting that exciting new discoveries will likely be unveiled in the near future.

Editorial

Editorial: Editorial for thematic issue on Archaea
Mecky Pohlschroder, Sonja-Verena Albers
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy032

Reviews

Archaeal Cell Surface Biogenesis
Mechthild Pohlschroder, Friedhelm Pfeiffer, et al.
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy027

NaCl-saturated brines are thermodynamically moderate, rather than extreme, microbial habitats
Callum J.D. Lee, Phillip E. McMullan, Callum J. O'Kane, et al.
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy026

Bathyarchaeota: globally distributed metabolic generalists in anoxic environments
Zhichao Zhou, Jie Pan, Fengping Wang, et al.
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy023

DNA repair in the archaea - an emerging picture
Malcolm F. White, Thorsten Allers
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, Volume 42, Issue 4, DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuy020

Archaeal DNA replication and repair: new genetic, biophysical and molecular tools for discovering and characterizing enzymes, pathways and mechanisms
Kelly M. Zatopek, Andrew F. Gardner, Zvi Kelman
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, Volume 42, Issue 4, DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy017

Insights into RNA-processing pathways and associated RNA-degrading enzymes in Archaea
Béatrice Clouet-d'Orval, Manon Batista, Marie Bouvier, et al.
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy016

Biotechnology of extremely thermophilic Archaea
Christopher T. Straub, James A. Counts, Diep M.N. Nguyen, et al.
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy012

DNA silencing by prokaryotic Argonaute proteins adds a new layer of defense against invading nucleic acids
Sarah Willkomm, Kira S. Marakova, Dina Grohmann
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy010

Strategies of adaptation of microorganisms of the three domains of life to high salt concentrations
Nina Gunde-Cimerman, Ana Plemenitaš, Aharon Oren
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, Volume 43, Issue 3, DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy009