Gene of Thrones

A new Research has offered insights into the Earth’s shifting climate over the past 41,000 years by studying the adaptation pattern of the microorganisms archived in ice cores from the Guliya Glacier on the Tibetan Plateau.

About the Research

• Researchers: The Study was conducted by the researchers at the Ice Core Paleoclimatology group at The Ohio State University
• Published In: The article was published in the journal The Conversation
• Aim: To observe changes in viral communities in response to different climatic conditions
• Data Source: Metagenomes (It is the collection of genomes that capture the total genetic content of all microorganisms present in environmental samples) were considered for the study.
• Process: Viral genomes from nine distinct time intervals within the Guliya ice core were reconstructed spanning three major cold-to-warm cycles

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• Findings:
  • Expanding the knowledge: The genomes of an equivalent of 1,705 virus species were discovered expanding known glacier-preserved ancient viruses more than fiftyfold.
    • Only about one-fourth of the viral species we found shared species-level similarities with any of the viruses identified in nearly 1,000 metagenomes previously captured in global datasets.
  • Changes in Virus Communities and Climate Change: It was observed that between cold and warm climatic periods, viral communities composition showed distinct differences probably influenced by changing wind patterns and changing temperatures on the glacier.
    • The most distinct community of viral species on the glacier appeared about 11,500 years ago, coinciding with the major transition from the Last Glacial Stage to the Holocene.
  • Virus’s  Interaction with their Hosts: Computer Models were used to determine  viruses’ interaction with their hosts by comparing viral genomes with the genomes of other microbes also found in this environment. 
    • It was found that viruses consistently infected Flavobacterium, a lineage of bacteria commonly found in glacier environments.
    • Effects on Host Metabolism: Viruses on the Guliya Glacier were found to have  “stolen” genes from their hosts to manipulate their metabolisms thus altering their host fitness during infection and influencing their capacity to survive in the extreme conditions of glacier environments.
• Significance:
  • New perspective on Adaptation: The findings have offered a novel perspective on how life, in the form of viruses, has responded to climatic changes over tens of thousands of years.
  • Enlarging scope for future research: Understanding these ancient interactions provides a unique opportunity for future research in both virology and climate science.
  • Help fight against Climate Change: Valuable knowledge about the adapting nature of ancient viruses has been gained which can be used to determine how they will  adapt to ongoing global climate change.
  • Insights into Earth’s Climate: Studying glacier ice and capturing information on microorganisms and their ecosystems over time in each layer will be a critical resource for unravelling the history of Earth’s climate and the life it has supported.

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