Evolutionary plasticity of cyanobacteria under persistent anoxia: mechanistic insights from marine blue holes and global ecological implications
Year: 2026
Type: editorial
Abstract: ABSTRACT Cyanobacteria are generally viewed as obligate oxic photoautotrophs. However, this paradigm was challenged by Z. Li, H. Zhang, T. Wei, L. He, and Y. Wang in Applied and Environmental Microbiology (92:e02576-25, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.02576-25 ); this group identified transcriptionally active Synechococcus in the dark, permanently anoxic Yongle Blue Hole using integrated metagenomic and transcriptomic analyses. This finding suggests adaptive streamlining under long-term oxygen limitation, expands the recognized ecological range of phototrophic microorganisms, and highlights the potential relevance of microbial adaptation to future ocean deoxygenation.
DOI: 10.1128/aem.00251-26
Authors: Hanrong Qiu, Zhenyan Zhang, Haifeng Qian
Institutions: Shaoxing University, Zhejiang University of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7161561127