How plants survive in extreme conditions of the Antarctic: Ukrainian scientists are close to solving the mystery

Ukrainian scientists have come close to solving the mystery of how Antarctic flowering plants manage to survive in extreme conditions. It turns out that the bacteria living inside them help them.

The project "Investigation of the role of endophytic bacteria in increasing the adaptability of Antarctic vascular plants" was led by Ukrainian biologist and polar explorer Yevheniia Prekrasna. She shared the details of the research on the National Antarctic Research Center's Facebook page.

According to scientists, there are two types of flowering (vascular) plants in the Antarctic: the Antarctic pike and the pearlwort. They survive and spread in conditions of low temperatures and high UV radiation.

Scientists were interested in how plants manage to survive in this harsh climate. In the course of research, it turned out that bacteria inside them help them to do so.

"We found that these symbiotic bacteria often improve plant health at lower, more stressful temperatures. Under some conditions, the bacteria activated genes that promote plant growth (e.g., trehalose or tryptophan synthesis) directly inside the plants," said biologist Yevheniia Prekrasna.

The bacteria also affect the amount of secondary metabolites inside plants (such as phenols, flavonoids, or glycosides), which have an antioxidant function and thus help the plant overcome stress, experts say.

The analysis found that some symbiotic bacteria also affect the functioning of the photosynthetic apparatus of plants.

According to scientists, this study has brought the scientific community closer to discovering the "superpower" of Antarctic plants, which can be used in the future for the benefit of mankind.

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