地热变形虫为真核生物设定了新的温度上限，这一成果由美国锡拉库扎大学Angela M. Oliverio研究小组经过不懈努力而取得。这一研究成果于2026年9月22日发表在国际顶尖学术期刊《细胞》上。

温度限制的研究改变了我们对生命边界的理解，但一直集中在细菌和古菌上。在其发现后的几十年里，没有真核生物被证明能在60°C以上复制。研究人员分离出一种地热阿米巴Incendiamoeba cascadensis，它能在63°C分裂，并在高达64°C时仍能运动。相对于中温阿米巴，他们鉴定出与蛋白质稳态和环境感知相关的基因富集。对I. cascadensis的比较RNA测序显示，在高温下，与蛋白质稳态、DNA修复和膜运输相关的通路上调。I. cascadensis的预测蛋白质具有独特的生物物理特性，包括富集正电荷表面残基，类似于细菌和古菌的超嗜热菌，这提示在温度胁迫下蛋白质稳定性存在趋同机制。总之，研究结果扩展了我们对生命能在何处以及如何存续的理解。

附：英文原文

Title: A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes

Author: H. Beryl Rappaport, Natalie A. Petek-Seoane, Tomá Tyml, Jessica K. Niblo, Felix Mikus, Naomi E. Gilbert, Kurt LaButti, Godwin Ani, Ethan MacVicar, Rachel M. Shepherd, Ignacio de la Higuera, Samuel J. Lord, Gautam Dey, Gordon V. Wolfe, Omaya Dudin, Laura A. Katz, Kenneth M. Stedman, Shahar Sukenik, Kristen Skruber, Frederik Schulz, R. Dyche Mullins, Angela M. Oliverio

Issue&Volume: 2026-09-22

Abstract: The study of temperature limits has transformed our understanding of life’s boundaries but has focused on bacteria and archaea. For decades after their discovery, no eukaryote was shown to replicate above 60°C. We isolated a geothermal amoeba, Incendiamoeba cascadensis, that divides at 63°C and is motile up to 64°C. We identified an enrichment of genes related to proteostasis and environmental sensing relative to mesophilic amoebae. Comparative RNA sequencing of I. cascadensis revealed upregulation of pathways related to proteostasis, DNA repair, and membrane trafficking at high temperatures. Predicted proteins of I. cascadensis have distinct biophysical properties, including enrichment of positively charged surface residues similar to bacterial and archaeal hyperthermophiles, which suggests a convergent mechanism for protein stability under temperature stress. Together, our findings expand our understanding of where and how life can persist.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.08.043

Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(26)01016-0