Cretaceous black shale: a window into microbial life adaptation

Terra Nova, 23, 362–368, 2011 As bacteria are usually incompletely preserved in the geological record, their recognition can only be based on their degradation‐resistant cell walls. However, the latter provide no indication about conditions occurring before the death of the bacteria. In this article...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Terra nova (Oxford, England) England), 2011-12, Vol.23 (6), p.362-368
Main Authors: Pacton, Muriel, Schmid, Thomas, Gorin, Georges, Massault, Marc, Stadler, Johannes
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Cellular biology
Geology
Microbiology
Oil shale
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Summary:Terra Nova, 23, 362–368, 2011 As bacteria are usually incompletely preserved in the geological record, their recognition can only be based on their degradation‐resistant cell walls. However, the latter provide no indication about conditions occurring before the death of the bacteria. In this article, we attempt to demonstrate the syngenecity of bacteria found in the Albian oceanic anoxic event (OAE1b) from the Urbino level and highlight their physiology from their possible intracellular components. Dark storage inclusions have been identified as inorganic polyphosphate, in addition to carotenoids which have been encountered in the cell. Before death, stress and deprivation resulted in drastic changes in physiology generating properties such as regulatory functions of polyphosphates and the ability of carotenoids to rigidify membranes. Therefore, this starvation strategy induced a more resistant state possibly enhancing the preservation of these bacteria. These results demonstrate the potential for exploring indications of past microbial life in other black shales.
ISSN:0954-4879
1365-3121
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-3121.2011.01020.x