LIFE IN PERMAFROST: PROCARYOTES AND EUCARYOTES. HOW LONG BEFORE?

摘要

Permafrost sediment of Antarctic and northeastern region of Russian Arctic were investigated on the presence of living organisms and their metabolic products. It is established, that the level of bacterial biomass in frozen sediments, from several thousand to millions of years of age, is only one or two order of magnitude lower, than that in soil. The viable fungal mycelium is absent, but in all frozen Antarctic and Siberia permafrost sediments viable fungal spores are present. This fact enable us make the conclusion, that eucaryotes preserve in their reproduction form under the temperature ut to -30℃ during millions years. These procaryotes and eucaryotes showed surprising resistance to high temperatures. Many bacterial and fungal strains of Arctic and Antarctic permafrost showed growth on nutrient media after 3h expesition of permafrost samples at 180℃. Even after 800℃ were observed the fragments of biogel of 50-200 nm in size.