Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is one of the most abundant organosulfur compounds on Earth, and a key nutrient for marine microorganisms. The main producers of DMSP are phytoplankton. DMSP is also the major precursor for gaseous dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which is important in global sulfur cycling and potentially affects weather and climate. Bacteria play an important role in the processes of DMSP degradation and DMS production. The pathways of DMSP synthesis and metabolism and the ecological impacts of DMSP have been studied for nearly 70 years. However, most of those studies have been performed at lowand mid-latitudes, and few experiments have been conducted in cold waters at high latitudes. In this review, I briefly introduce DMSP synthesis and catabolism, and then summarize recent advances in research on genes involved in DMSP degradation and the organisms that harbor those genes in polar marine areas. Studies on the bacterial metabolism of DMSP/DMS in polar marine areas will greatly improve our understanding of the role of microorganisms in the polar marine ecosystem, and the responses and feedback of marine microbial communities in the polar region to global climate change.