https://phys.org/news/2025-10-common-yeast-survive-martian-conditions.html Phys.org Topics * Week's top * Latest news * Unread news * Subscribe [ ] Science X Account [ ] [ ] Sign In Sign in with Forget Password? Not a member? Sign up Learn more * Nanotechnology * Physics * Earth * Astronomy & Space * Chemistry * Biology * Other Sciences * Medical Xpress Medicine * Tech Xplore Technology [INS::INS] * * share this! * 120 * Tweet * Share * Email 1. Home 2. Astronomy & Space 3. Astrobiology * * * --------------------------------------------------------------------- October 14, 2025 The GIST Common yeast can survive Martian conditions by PNAS Nexus edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan [Gaby] Gaby Clark scientific editor Meet our editorial team Behind our editorial process [Robert] Robert Egan associate editor Meet our editorial team Behind our editorial process Editors' notes This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication proofread Yeast survives Martian conditions Assembly of ribonucleoprotein condensates in response to Mars-like stress conditions. Credit: Dhage et al. Any life on Mars in the past, present, or future would have to contend with challenging conditions including, among others, shock waves from meteorite impacts and soil perchlorates--highly oxidizing salts that destabilize hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Published in PNAS Nexus, Purusharth I. Rajyaguru and colleagues subjected Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is a widely used model yeast, to shock waves and perchlorates. The authors chose the yeast in part because it has already been studied in space. When stressed, yeast, humans, and many other organisms form ribonucleoprotein (RNP) condensates, structures made of RNA and proteins that protect RNA and affect the fates of mRNAs. When the stressor passes, the RNP condensates, which include subtypes known as stress granules and P-bodies, disassemble. The authors simulated Martian shock waves at the High-Intensity Shock Tube for Astrochemistry (HISTA) housed in the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, India. Yeast exposed to 5.6 Mach intensity shock waves survived with slowed growth, as did yeast subjected to 100 mM sodium salt of perchlorate (NaClO[4])--a concentration similar to that in Martian soils. Yeast cells also survived exposure to the combined stress of shock waves and perchlorate stress. In both cases, the yeast assembled RNP condensates. Common yeast can survive Martian conditions Shock waves and sodium perchlorate induce the assembly of RNP condensates in wildtype (BY4741) yeast strain. Credit: PNAS Nexus (2025). https:// academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/pnasnexus/ pgaf300 Shock waves induced the assembly of stress granules and P-bodies; perchlorate caused yeast to make P-bodies but not stress granules. Mutants incapable of assembling RNP condensates were poor at surviving the Martian stress condition. Transcriptome analysis identified specific RNA transcripts perturbed by Mars-like conditions. According to the authors, the results show the importance of yeast and RNP condensates in understanding the effects of Martian conditions on life. More information: Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) condensates modulate survival in response to Mars-like stress conditions, PNAS Nexus (2025). academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/art ... 93/pnasnexus/pgaf300 Journal information: PNAS Nexus Provided by PNAS Nexus Citation: Common yeast can survive Martian conditions (2025, October 14) retrieved 22 October 2025 from https://phys.org/news/ 2025-10-common-yeast-survive-martian-conditions.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. 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Survival depends on the assembly of ribonucleoprotein condensates such as stress granules and P-bodies. Mutants unable to form these structures show decreased viability, highlighting their protective role under Mars-like stress. This summary was automatically generated using LLM. Full disclaimer Let us know if there is a problem with our content Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form. For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines). Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request [-- please select one -- ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Your message to the editors [ ] Your email (optional, only if you'd like a response) [ ] Send Feedback Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors. Your feedback is important to us. 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