How do cells enter hibernation? To answer this question, scientists involved in the HIBernAR scientific program, coordinated by Ifremer, explored a little-known biological phenomenon: ribosome dormancy. Ribosomes are tiny molecular factories responsible for protein production in all living cells. They focused on Archaea, a group of unique microorganisms able to thrive in some of the most extreme environments on Earth, such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents. They discovered a protein that plays a key role in controlling ribosomal hibernation. This discovery, published in the journal Nature Communications, sheds new light on the strategies living organisms use to survive and adapt to environmental stress and change.
When environmental conditions become too harsh - such as nutrient depletion or extreme temperatures - cells can “pause” their ribosomes. This survival strategy allows them to conserve energy and protect essential cellular components until conditions improve. However, the precise mechanisms underlying this process remained poorly understood.
To investigate this biological mystery, scientists from Ifremer, the Laboratory of Structural Cell Biology (BIOC1) at École Polytechnique, the Center for Integrative Biology (CBI2), and the Institut Pasteur combined their expertise. They focused on marine archaea living in extreme conditions: temperatures reaching up to 100°C and pressures of around 40 megapascals—equivalent to the weight of three elephants on the tip of a fingernail. The model organism selected, Thermococcus barophilus, offers unique insights into how life adapts, organizes itself and survives under hostile conditions.
“Archaea from the deep sea are true champions of adaptation. By studying their ability to trigger the hibernation of their ribosomes, we discovered a protein factor responsible for this dormancy. Even more surprising, this mechanism turns out to be widespread among many species of archaea, including those that do not live in extreme environments,” explains Didier Flament, author of the study and researcher at Ifremer’s Laboratory of Biology and Ecology of Deep-Sea Ecosystems.
“Our work has also revealed a similar hibernation mechanism specific to archaea present in the human digestive system. This is an unexpected way to link deep-sea microorganisms to our digestive system,” adds Guillaume Borrel, author of the study and researcher in the Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial Cell unit at the Institut Pasteur.
Beyond its fundamental significance, this discovery also opens up new opportunities for biotechnology. The production of proteins of interest often relies on the use of living cells. Drawing inspiration from the natural mechanisms that regulate and preserve cellular activity could help improve this production process.
This research also provides new insights into the resilience of deep-sea microbial communities in the context of climate change. These ecosystems are subject to increasing disturbances caused by fluctuations in nutrient availability and prolonged changes in physicochemical conditions. The ability of microorganisms to temporarily enter a dormant state may represent a key adaptative strategy for surviving these periods of environmental stress.
Source
Madru, C., Bourgeois, G., Dulermo, R. et al. A family of ribosome hibernation factors widespread in Archaea. Nat Commun (2026).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72341-8
1 - BIOC: a joint research unit of the CNRS, École Polytechnique, and Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France
2 - CBI: a research institute under the supervision of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the University of Toulouse (UT)