Any type of life will respond to the conditions it is used to, mildy intensified.

On Earth, the life responds to water and available organic carbon. On Mars, I guess it would respond to more UV radiation, more frost, and more CO2. Maybe more peroxides or superoxides, along the lines of this researcher's thoughts.

It really shows how little we understood Mars in the Viking days, to imagine that adding liquid water would provoke a beneficial response.

Liquid water is an alien sunstance to the modern-day surface of Mars.

It was hubris to imagine that we could both learn about an unknown Mars AND test it for life in one step. Only now are we beginning to imagine the kinds of biochemistry that might be adapted to the Red Planet. (Talking of which, I haven't heard any more about Methane on Mars. That story has gone quiet).