151
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White MF, Allers T. DNA repair in the archaea-an emerging picture. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2018; 42:514-526. [PMID: 29741625 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There has long been a fascination in the DNA repair pathways of archaea, for two main reasons. Firstly, many archaea inhabit extreme environments where the rate of physical damage to DNA is accelerated. These archaea might reasonably be expected to have particularly robust or novel DNA repair pathways to cope with this. Secondly, the archaea have long been understood to be a lineage distinct from the bacteria, and to share a close relationship with the eukarya, particularly in their information processing systems. Recent discoveries suggest the eukarya arose from within the archaeal domain, and in particular from lineages related to the TACK superphylum and Lokiarchaea. Thus, archaeal DNA repair proteins and pathways can represent a useful model system. This review focuses on recent advances in our understanding of archaeal DNA repair processes including base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair, mismatch repair and double-strand break repair. These advances are discussed in the context of the emerging picture of the evolution and relationship of the three domains of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malcolm F White
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Thorsten Allers
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
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152
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Zhou Z, Liu Y, Lloyd KG, Pan J, Yang Y, Gu JD, Li M. Genomic and transcriptomic insights into the ecology and metabolism of benthic archaeal cosmopolitan, Thermoprofundales (MBG-D archaea). ISME JOURNAL 2018; 13:885-901. [PMID: 30514872 PMCID: PMC6461988 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-018-0321-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 10/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Marine Benthic Group D (MBG-D) archaea, discovered by 16S rRNA gene survey decades ago, are ecologically important, yet understudied and uncultured sedimentary archaea. In this study, a comprehensive meta-analysis based on the 16S rRNA genes of MBG-D archaea showed that MBG-D archaea are one of the most frequently found archaeal lineages in global sediment with widespread distribution and high abundance, including 16 subgroups in total. Interestingly, some subgroups show significant segregations toward salinity and methane seeps. Co-occurrence analyses indicate significant non-random association of MBG-D archaea with Lokiarchaeota (in both saline and freshwater sediments) and Hadesarchaea, suggesting potential interactions among these archaeal groups. Meanwhile, based on four nearly complete metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and corresponding metatranscriptomes reconstructed from mangrove and intertidal mudflat sediments, we provide insights on metabolic potentials and ecological functions of MBG-D archaea. MBG-D archaea appear to be capable of transporting and assimilating peptides and generating acetate and ethanol through fermentation. Metatranscriptomic analysis suggests high expression of genes for acetate and amino acid utilization and for peptidases, especially the M09B-type extracellular peptidase (collagenase) showing high expression levels in all four mangrove MAGs. Beyond heterotrophic central carbon metabolism, the MBG-D genomes include genes that might encode two autotrophic pathways: Wood–Ljundahl (WL) pathways using both H4MPT and H4folate as C1 carriers, and an incomplete dicarboxylate/4-hydroxybutyrate cycle with alternative bypasses from pyruvate to malate/oxaloacetate during dicarboxylation. These findings reveal MBG-D archaea as an important ubiquitous benthic sedimentary archaeal group with specific mixotrophic metabolisms, so we proposed the name Thermoprofundales as a new Order within the Class Thermoplasmata. Globally, Thermoprofundales and other benthic archaea might synergistically transform benthic organic matter, possibly playing a vital role in sedimentary carbon cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Zhou
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.,Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Liu
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Karen G Lloyd
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Jie Pan
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuchun Yang
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Ji-Dong Gu
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
| | - Meng Li
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
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153
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Muñoz-Velasco I, García-Ferris C, Hernandez-Morales R, Lazcano A, Peretó J, Becerra A. Methanogenesis on Early Stages of Life: Ancient but Not Primordial. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2018; 48:407-420. [PMID: 30612264 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-018-9570-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Of the six known autotrophic pathways, the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WL) is the only one present in both the acetate producing Bacteria (homoacetogens) and the methane producing Archaea (hydrogenotrophic methanogens), and it has been suggested that WL is one of the oldest metabolic pathways. However, only the so-called carbonyl branch is shared by Archaea and Bacteria, while the methyl branch is different, both in the number of reactions and enzymes, which are not homologous among them. In this work we show that some parts of the methyl branch of archaeal Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (MBWL) are present in bacteria as well as in non-methanogen archaea, although the tangled evolutionary history of MBWL cannot be traced back to the Last Common Ancestor. We have also analyzed the different variants of methanogenesis (hydrogenotrophic, acetoclastic and methylotrophic pathways), and concluded that each of these pathways, and every different enzyme or subunit (in the case of multimeric enzymes), has their own intricate evolutionary history. Our study supports the scenario of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis being older than the other variants, albeit not old enough to be present in the last archaeal common ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Muñoz-Velasco
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-407 Cd. Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio A, 1° Piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, C.P., 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Carlos García-Ferris
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat de València, Apartat Postal 22085, 46071, València, Spain
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, (I2SysBio, Universitat de València-CSIC), Apartat Postal 22085, 46071, València, Spain
| | - Ricardo Hernandez-Morales
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-407 Cd. Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Antonio Lazcano
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-407 Cd. Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Miembro de El Colegio Nacional, El Colegio Nacional, Donceles 104, Centro Histórico, 06020, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Juli Peretó
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat de València, Apartat Postal 22085, 46071, València, Spain
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, (I2SysBio, Universitat de València-CSIC), Apartat Postal 22085, 46071, València, Spain
| | - Arturo Becerra
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-407 Cd. Universitaria, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
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154
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Genome size evolution in the Archaea. Emerg Top Life Sci 2018; 2:595-605. [PMID: 33525826 PMCID: PMC7289037 DOI: 10.1042/etls20180021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
What determines variation in genome size, gene content and genetic diversity at the broadest scales across the tree of life? Much of the existing work contrasts eukaryotes with prokaryotes, the latter represented mainly by Bacteria. But any general theory of genome evolution must also account for the Archaea, a diverse and ecologically important group of prokaryotes that represent one of the primary domains of cellular life. Here, we survey the extant diversity of Bacteria and Archaea, and ask whether the general principles of genome evolution deduced from the study of Bacteria and eukaryotes also apply to the archaeal domain. Although Bacteria and Archaea share a common prokaryotic genome architecture, the extant diversity of Bacteria appears to be much higher than that of Archaea. Compared with Archaea, Bacteria also show much greater genome-level specialisation to specific ecological niches, including parasitism and endosymbiosis. The reasons for these differences in long-term diversification rates are unclear, but might be related to fundamental differences in informational processing machineries and cell biological features that may favour archaeal diversification in harsher or more energy-limited environments. Finally, phylogenomic analyses suggest that the first Archaea were anaerobic autotrophs that evolved on the early Earth.
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155
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Baluška F, Lyons S. Energide-cell body as smallest unit of eukaryotic life. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2018; 122:741-745. [PMID: 29474513 PMCID: PMC6215040 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcy022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Background The evolutionary origin of the eukaryotic nucleus is obscure and controversial. Currently preferred are autogenic concepts; ideas of a symbiotic origin are mostly discarded and forgotten. Here we briefly discuss these issues and propose a new version of the symbiotic and archaeal origin of the eukaryotic nucleus. Scope and Conclusions The nucleus of eukaryotic cells forms via its perinuclear microtubules, the primary eukaryotic unit known also as the Energide-cell body. As for all other endosymbiotic organelles, new Energides are generated only from other Energides. While the Energide cannot be generated de novo, it can use its secretory apparatus to generate de novo the cell periphery apparatus. We suggest that Virchow's tenet Omnis cellula e cellula should be updated as Omnis Energide e Energide to reflect the status of the Energide as the primary unit of the eukaryotic cell, and life. In addition, the plasma membrane provides feedback to the Energide and renders it protection via the plasma membrane-derived endosomal network. New discoveries suggest archaeal origins of both the Energide and its host cell.
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156
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Seth-Pasricha M, Senn S, Sanman LE, Bogyo M, Nanda V, Bidle KA, Bidle KD. Catalytic linkage between caspase activity and proteostasis in Archaea. Environ Microbiol 2018; 21:286-298. [PMID: 30370585 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The model haloarchaeon, Haloferax volcanii possess an extremely high, and highly specific, basal caspase activity in exponentially growing cells that closely resembles caspase-4. This activity is specifically inhibited by the pan-caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-FMK, and has no cross-reactivity with other known protease families. Although it is one of the dominant cellular proteolytic activities in exponentially growing H. volcanii cells, the interactive cellular roles remain unknown and the protein(s) responsible for this activity remain elusive. Here, biochemical purification and in situ trapping with caspase targeted covalent inhibitors combined with genome-enabled proteomics, structural analysis, targeted gene knockouts and treatment with canavanine demonstrated a catalytic linkage between caspase activity and thermosomes, proteasomes and cdc48b, a cell division protein and proteasomal degradation facilitating ATPase, as part of an 'interactase' of stress-related protein complexes with an established link to the unfolded protein response (UPR). Our findings provide novel cellular and biochemical context for the observed caspase activity in Archaea and add new insight to understanding the role of this activity, implicating their possible role in the establishment of protein stress and ER associated degradation pathways in Eukarya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansha Seth-Pasricha
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Stefan Senn
- Abteilung für Chemie und Bioanalytik, Universität Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Laura E Sanman
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Bogyo
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Vikas Nanda
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Kelly A Bidle
- Department of Biology, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Health Sciences, Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
| | - Kay D Bidle
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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157
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Koonin EV. Environmental microbiology and metagenomics: the Brave New World is here, what's next? Environ Microbiol 2018; 20:4210-4212. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eugene V. Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of MedicineNational Institutes of Health Bethesda MD 20894 USA
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158
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Sorokin DY, Messina E, La Cono V, Ferrer M, Ciordia S, Mena MC, Toshchakov SV, Golyshin PN, Yakimov MM. Sulfur Respiration in a Group of Facultatively Anaerobic Natronoarchaea Ubiquitous in Hypersaline Soda Lakes. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2359. [PMID: 30333814 PMCID: PMC6176080 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ubiquity of strictly anaerobic sulfur-respiring haloarchaea in hypersaline systems with circumneutral pH has shaken a traditional concept of this group as predominantly aerobic heterotrophs. Here, we demonstrated that this functional group of haloarchaea also has its representatives in hypersaline alkaline lakes. Sediments from various hypersaline soda lakes showed high activity of sulfur reduction only partially inhibited by antibiotics. Eight pure cultures of sulfur-reducing natronoarchaea were isolated from such sediments using formate and butyrate as electron donors and sulfur as an electron acceptor. Unlike strict anaerobic haloarchaea, these novel sulfur-reducing natronoarchaea are facultative anaerobes, whose metabolic capabilities were inferred from cultivation experiments and genomic/proteomic reconstruction. While sharing many physiological traits with strict anaerobic haloarchaea, following metabolic distinctions make these new organisms be successful in both anoxic and aerobic habitats: the recruiting of heme-copper quinol oxidases as terminal electron sink in aerobic respiratory chain and the utilization of formate, hydrogen or short-chain fatty acids as electron donors during anaerobic growth with elemental sulfur. Obtained results significantly advance the emerging concept of halo(natrono)archaea as important players in the anaerobic sulfur and carbon cycling in various salt-saturated habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitry Y Sorokin
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Centre of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Enzo Messina
- Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, National Research Council, Messina, Italy
| | - Violetta La Cono
- Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, National Research Council, Messina, Italy
| | - Manuel Ferrer
- Institute of Catalysis, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Ciordia
- Proteomics Unit, National Center for Biotechnology, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria C Mena
- Proteomics Unit, National Center for Biotechnology, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain
| | - Stepan V Toshchakov
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Centre of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, Russia
| | - Peter N Golyshin
- School of Biological Sciences and The Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Bangor University, Bangor, United Kingdom
| | - Michail M Yakimov
- Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, National Research Council, Messina, Italy.,Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, Russia
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159
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Cheung MK, Wong CK, Chu KH, Kwan HS. Community Structure, Dynamics and Interactions of Bacteria, Archaea and Fungi in Subtropical Coastal Wetland Sediments. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14397. [PMID: 30258074 PMCID: PMC6158284 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32529-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria, archaea and fungi play crucial roles in wetland biogeochemical processes. However, little is known about their community structure, dynamics and interactions in subtropical coastal wetlands. Here, we examined communities of the three kingdoms in mangrove and mudflat sediments of a subtropical coastal wetland using Ion Torrent amplicon sequencing and co-occurrence network analysis. Bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities comprised mainly of members from the phyla Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, Bathyarchaeota and Euryarchaeota, and Ascomycota, respectively. Species richness and Shannon diversity were highest in bacteria, followed by archaea and were lowest in fungi. Distinct spatiotemporal patterns were observed, with bacterial and fungal communities varying, to different extent, between wet and dry seasons and between mangrove and mudflat, and archaeal community remaining relatively stable between seasons and regions. Redundancy analysis revealed temperature as the major driver of the seasonal patterns of bacterial and fungal communities but also highlighted the importance of interkingdom biotic factors in shaping the community structure of all three kingdoms. Potential ecological interactions and putative keystone taxa were identified based on co-occurrence network analysis. These findings facilitate current understanding of the microbial ecology of subtropical coastal wetlands and provide a basis for better modelling of ecological processes in this important ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Kit Cheung
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chong Kim Wong
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ka Hou Chu
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hoi Shan Kwan
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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160
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Abstract
Most of the phylogenetic diversity of life is found in bacteria and archaea, and is reflected in the diverse metabolism and functions of bacterial and archaeal polyamines. The polyamine spermidine was probably present in the last universal common ancestor, and polyamines are known to be necessary for critical physiological functions in bacteria, such as growth, biofilm formation, and other surface behaviors, and production of natural products, such as siderophores. There is also phylogenetic diversity of function, indicated by the role of polyamines in planktonic growth of different species, ranging from absolutely essential to entirely dispensable. However, the cellular molecular mechanisms responsible for polyamine function in bacterial growth are almost entirely unknown. In contrast, the molecular mechanisms of essential polyamine functions in archaea are better understood: covalent modification by polyamines of translation factor aIF5A and the agmatine modification of tRNAIle As with bacterial hyperthermophiles, archaeal thermophiles require long-chain and branched polyamines for growth at high temperatures. For bacterial species in which polyamines are essential for growth, it is still unknown whether the molecular mechanisms underpinning polyamine function involve covalent or noncovalent interactions. Understanding the cellular molecular mechanisms of polyamine function in bacterial growth and physiology remains one of the great challenges for future polyamine research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Michael
- From the Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
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161
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Abstract
Predicting the total number of microbial cells on Earth and exploring the full diversity of life are fundamental research concepts that have undergone paradigm shifts in the genomic era. In this issue, Lloyd and colleagues (K. Predicting the total number of microbial cells on Earth and exploring the full diversity of life are fundamental research concepts that have undergone paradigm shifts in the genomic era. In this issue, Lloyd and colleagues (K. G. Lloyd, A. D. Steen, J. L. Ladau, J. Yin, and L. Crosby, mSystems 3:e00055-18, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00055-18, 2018) present results that combine these two concepts by estimating the total diversity of all cells from Earth’s environments. Leveraging publicly available amplicon, metagenomic, and metatranscriptomic datasets, they determined that nearly all environments are dominated by uncultured lineages, with the exception of humans and human-associated habitats. They define a new concept: phylogenetically diverse noncultured cells (PDNC). Unlike viable but nonculturable cells (VBNC), PDNC are microorganisms for which traditional isolation techniques may never succeed. Lloyd et al. estimate that the majority of microorganisms in Earth’s ecosystems may be PDNC and conclude that culture-independent methods combined with innovative culturing techniques may be required to understand the ecology and physiology of these abundant and divergent microorganisms.
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162
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Reply to ‘Molecular clocks provide little information to date methanogenic Archaea’. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1678. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0685-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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163
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Abstract
The genomes of all organisms throughout the tree of life are compacted and organized in chromatin by association of chromatin proteins. Eukaryotic genomes encode histones, which are assembled on the genome into octamers, yielding nucleosomes. Post-translational modifications of the histones, which occur mostly on their N-terminal tails, define the functional state of chromatin. Like eukaryotes, most archaeal genomes encode histones, which are believed to be involved in the compaction and organization of their genomes. Instead of discrete multimers, in vivo data suggest assembly of “nucleosomes” of variable size, consisting of multiples of dimers, which are able to induce repression of transcription. Based on these data and a model derived from X-ray crystallography, it was recently proposed that archaeal histones assemble on DNA into “endless” hypernucleosomes. In this review, we discuss the amino acid determinants of hypernucleosome formation and highlight differences with the canonical eukaryotic octamer. We identify archaeal histones differing from the consensus, which are expected to be unable to assemble into hypernucleosomes. Finally, we identify atypical archaeal histones with short N- or C-terminal extensions and C-terminal tails similar to the tails of eukaryotic histones, which are subject to post-translational modification. Based on the expected characteristics of these archaeal histones, we discuss possibilities of involvement of histones in archaeal transcription regulation. Both Archaea and eukaryotes express histones, but whereas the tertiary structure of histones is conserved, the quaternary structure of histone–DNA complexes is very different. In a recent study, the crystal structure of the archaeal hypernucleosome was revealed to be an “endless” core of interacting histones that wraps the DNA around it in a left-handed manner. The ability to form a hypernucleosome is likely determined by dimer–dimer interactions as well as stacking interactions between individual layers of the hypernucleosome. We analyzed a wide variety of archaeal histones and found that most but not all histones possess residues able to facilitate hypernucleosome formation. Among these are histones with truncated termini or extended histone tails. Based on our analysis, we propose several possibilities of archaeal histone involvement in transcription regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Henneman
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Clara van Emmerik
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Hugo van Ingen
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Remus T. Dame
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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164
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Narrowe AB, Spang A, Stairs CW, Caceres EF, Baker BJ, Miller CS, Ettema TJG. Complex Evolutionary History of Translation Elongation Factor 2 and Diphthamide Biosynthesis in Archaea and Parabasalids. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:2380-2393. [PMID: 30060184 PMCID: PMC6143161 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Diphthamide is a modified histidine residue which is uniquely present in archaeal and eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (EF-2), an essential GTPase responsible for catalyzing the coordinated translocation of tRNA and mRNA through the ribosome. In part due to the role of diphthamide in maintaining translational fidelity, it was previously assumed that diphthamide biosynthesis genes (dph) are conserved across all eukaryotes and archaea. Here, comparative analysis of new and existing genomes reveals that some archaea (i.e., members of the Asgard superphylum, Geoarchaea, and Korarchaeota) and eukaryotes (i.e., parabasalids) lack dph. In addition, while EF-2 was thought to exist as a single copy in archaea, many of these dph-lacking archaeal genomes encode a second EF-2 paralog missing key residues required for diphthamide modification and for normal translocase function, perhaps suggesting functional divergence linked to loss of diphthamide biosynthesis. Interestingly, some Heimdallarchaeota previously suggested to be most closely related to the eukaryotic ancestor maintain dph genes and a single gene encoding canonical EF-2. Our findings reveal that the ability to produce diphthamide, once thought to be a universal feature in archaea and eukaryotes, has been lost multiple times during evolution, and suggest that anticipated compensatory mechanisms evolved independently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne B Narrowe
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver
| | - Anja Spang
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, AB Den Burg, The Netherlands
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Courtney W Stairs
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Eva F Caceres
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Brett J Baker
- Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas Austin, Port Aransas
| | | | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Sweden
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165
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Lloyd KG, Steen AD, Ladau J, Yin J, Crosby L. Phylogenetically Novel Uncultured Microbial Cells Dominate Earth Microbiomes. mSystems 2018; 3:e00055-18. [PMID: 30273414 PMCID: PMC6156271 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00055-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To describe a microbe's physiology, including its metabolism, environmental roles, and growth characteristics, it must be grown in a laboratory culture. Unfortunately, many phylogenetically novel groups have never been cultured, so their physiologies have only been inferred from genomics and environmental characteristics. Although the diversity, or number of different taxonomic groups, of uncultured clades has been studied well, their global abundances, or numbers of cells in any given environment, have not been assessed. We quantified the degree of similarity of 16S rRNA gene sequences from diverse environments in publicly available metagenome and metatranscriptome databases, which we show have far less of the culture bias present in primer-amplified 16S rRNA gene surveys, to those of their nearest cultured relatives. Whether normalized to scaffold read depths or not, the highest abundances of metagenomic 16S rRNA gene sequences belong to phylogenetically novel uncultured groups in seawater, freshwater, terrestrial subsurface, soil, hypersaline environments, marine sediment, hot springs, hydrothermal vents, nonhuman hosts, snow, and bioreactors (22% to 87% uncultured genera to classes and 0% to 64% uncultured phyla). The exceptions were human and human-associated environments, which were dominated by cultured genera (45% to 97%). We estimate that uncultured genera and phyla could comprise 7.3 × 1029 (81%) and 2.2 × 1029 (25%) of microbial cells, respectively. Uncultured phyla were overrepresented in metatranscriptomes relative to metagenomes (46% to 84% of sequences in a given environment), suggesting that they are viable. Therefore, uncultured microbes, often from deeply phylogenetically divergent groups, dominate nonhuman environments on Earth, and their undiscovered physiologies may matter for Earth systems. IMPORTANCE In the past few decades, it has become apparent that most of the microbial diversity on Earth has never been characterized in laboratory cultures. We show that these unknown microbes, sometimes called "microbial dark matter," are numerically dominant in all major environments on Earth, with the exception of the human body, where most of the microbes have been cultured. We also estimate that about one-quarter of the population of microbial cells on Earth belong to phyla with no cultured relatives, suggesting that these never-before-studied organisms may be important for ecosystem functions. Author Video: An author video summary of this article is available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen G. Lloyd
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Andrew D. Steen
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Joshua Ladau
- Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Junqi Yin
- Joint Institute for Computational Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Lonnie Crosby
- Joint Institute for Computational Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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166
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Kırtel O, Versluys M, Van den Ende W, Toksoy Öner E. Fructans of the saline world. Biotechnol Adv 2018; 36:1524-1539. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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167
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Roger AJ, Muñoz-Gómez SA, Kamikawa R. The Origin and Diversification of Mitochondria. Curr Biol 2018; 27:R1177-R1192. [PMID: 29112874 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 574] [Impact Index Per Article: 95.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondria are best known for their role in the generation of ATP by aerobic respiration. Yet, research in the past half century has shown that they perform a much larger suite of functions and that these functions can vary substantially among diverse eukaryotic lineages. Despite this diversity, all mitochondria derive from a common ancestral organelle that originated from the integration of an endosymbiotic alphaproteobacterium into a host cell related to Asgard Archaea. The transition from endosymbiotic bacterium to permanent organelle entailed a massive number of evolutionary changes including the origins of hundreds of new genes and a protein import system, insertion of membrane transporters, integration of metabolism and reproduction, genome reduction, endosymbiotic gene transfer, lateral gene transfer and the retargeting of proteins. These changes occurred incrementally as the endosymbiont and the host became integrated. Although many insights into this transition have been gained, controversy persists regarding the nature of the original endosymbiont, its initial interactions with the host and the timing of its integration relative to the origin of other features of eukaryote cells. Since the establishment of the organelle, proteins have been gained, lost, transferred and retargeted as mitochondria have specialized into the spectrum of functional types seen across the eukaryotic tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Roger
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
| | - Sergio A Muñoz-Gómez
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Ryoma Kamikawa
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Japan
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168
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Bisson-Filho AW, Zheng J, Garner E. Archaeal imaging: leading the hunt for new discoveries. Mol Biol Cell 2018; 29:1675-1681. [PMID: 30001185 PMCID: PMC6080714 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-10-0603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the identification of the archaeal domain in the mid-1970s, we have collected a great deal of metagenomic, biochemical, and structural information from archaeal species. However, there is still little known about how archaeal cells organize their internal cellular components in space and time. In contrast, live-cell imaging has allowed bacterial and eukaryotic cell biologists to learn a lot about biological processes by observing the motions of cells, the dynamics of their internal organelles, and even the motions of single molecules. The explosion of knowledge gained via live-cell imaging in prokaryotes and eukaryotes has motivated an ever-improving set of imaging technologies that could allow analogous explorations into archaeal biology. Furthermore, previous studies of essential biological processes in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms give methodological roadmaps for the investigation of similar processes in archaea. In this perspective, we highlight a few fundamental cellular processes in archaea, reviewing our current state of understanding about each, and compare how imaging approaches helped to advance the study of similar processes in bacteria and eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ethan Garner
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
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169
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Systems biology of eukaryotic superorganisms and the holobiont concept. Theory Biosci 2018; 137:117-131. [DOI: 10.1007/s12064-018-0265-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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170
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Castelle CJ, Banfield JF. Major New Microbial Groups Expand Diversity and Alter our Understanding of the Tree of Life. Cell 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 322] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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171
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Chistoserdova L, Kalyuzhnaya MG. Current Trends in Methylotrophy. Trends Microbiol 2018; 26:703-714. [PMID: 29471983 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2018.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Methylotrophy is a field of study dealing with microorganisms capable of utilization of compounds devoid of carbon-carbon bonds (C1 compounds). In this review, we highlight several emerging trends in methylotrophy. First, we discuss the significance of the recent discovery of lanthanide-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases for understanding both the occurrence and the distribution of methylotrophy functions among bacteria, and then we discuss the newly appreciated role of lanthanides in biology. Next, we describe the detection of other methylotrophy pathways across novel bacterial taxa and insights into the evolution of methylotrophy. Further, data are presented on the occurrence and activity of aerobic methylotrophs in hypoxic and anoxic environments, questioning the prior assumptions on niche separation of aerobic and anaerobic methylotrophy. The concept of communal function in aerobic methane oxidation is also briefly discussed. Finally, we review recent research in engineering methylotrophs for biotechnological applications as well as recent progress in engineering synthetic methylotrophy.
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172
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Daebeler A, Herbold CW, Vierheilig J, Sedlacek CJ, Pjevac P, Albertsen M, Kirkegaard RH, de la Torre JR, Daims H, Wagner M. Cultivation and Genomic Analysis of " Candidatus Nitrosocaldus islandicus," an Obligately Thermophilic, Ammonia-Oxidizing Thaumarchaeon from a Hot Spring Biofilm in Graendalur Valley, Iceland. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:193. [PMID: 29491853 PMCID: PMC5817080 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) within the phylum Thaumarchaeota are the only known aerobic ammonia oxidizers in geothermal environments. Although molecular data indicate the presence of phylogenetically diverse AOA from the Nitrosocaldus clade, group 1.1b and group 1.1a Thaumarchaeota in terrestrial high-temperature habitats, only one enrichment culture of an AOA thriving above 50°C has been reported and functionally analyzed. In this study, we physiologically and genomically characterized a newly discovered thaumarchaeon from the deep-branching Nitrosocaldaceae family of which we have obtained a high (∼85%) enrichment from biofilm of an Icelandic hot spring (73°C). This AOA, which we provisionally refer to as "Candidatus Nitrosocaldus islandicus," is an obligately thermophilic, aerobic chemolithoautotrophic ammonia oxidizer, which stoichiometrically converts ammonia to nitrite at temperatures between 50 and 70°C. "Ca. N. islandicus" encodes the expected repertoire of enzymes proposed to be required for archaeal ammonia oxidation, but unexpectedly lacks a nirK gene and also possesses no identifiable other enzyme for nitric oxide (NO) generation. Nevertheless, ammonia oxidation by this AOA appears to be NO-dependent as "Ca. N. islandicus" is, like all other tested AOA, inhibited by the addition of an NO scavenger. Furthermore, comparative genomics revealed that "Ca. N. islandicus" has the potential for aromatic amino acid fermentation as its genome encodes an indolepyruvate oxidoreductase (iorAB) as well as a type 3b hydrogenase, which are not present in any other sequenced AOA. A further surprising genomic feature of this thermophilic ammonia oxidizer is the absence of DNA polymerase D genes - one of the predominant replicative DNA polymerases in all other ammonia-oxidizing Thaumarchaeota. Collectively, our findings suggest that metabolic versatility and DNA replication might differ substantially between obligately thermophilic and other AOA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Daebeler
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Research Network “Chemistry meets Microbiology”, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Craig W. Herbold
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Research Network “Chemistry meets Microbiology”, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Vierheilig
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Research Network “Chemistry meets Microbiology”, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christopher J. Sedlacek
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Research Network “Chemistry meets Microbiology”, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Petra Pjevac
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Research Network “Chemistry meets Microbiology”, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mads Albertsen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Center for Microbial Communities, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Rasmus H. Kirkegaard
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Center for Microbial Communities, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - José R. de la Torre
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Holger Daims
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Research Network “Chemistry meets Microbiology”, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Wagner
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Research Network “Chemistry meets Microbiology”, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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173
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Baldauf SL, Romeralo M, Fiz-Palacios O, Heidari N. A Deep Hidden Diversity of Dictyostelia. Protist 2018; 169:64-78. [PMID: 29427837 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2017.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Dictyostelia is a monophyletic group of transiently multicellular (sorocarpic) amoebae, whose study is currently limited to laboratory culture. This tends to favour faster growing species with robust sorocarps, while species with smaller more delicate sorocarps constitute most of the group's taxonomic breadth. The number of known species is also small (∼150) given Dictyostelia's molecular depth and apparent antiquity (>600 myr). Nonetheless, dictyostelid sequences are rarely recovered in culture independent sampling (ciPCR) surveys. We developed ciPCR primers to specifically target dictyostelid small subunit (SSU or 18S) rDNA and tested them on total DNAs extracted from a wide range of soils from five continents. The resulting clone libraries show mostly dictyostelid sequences (∼90%), and phylogenetic analyses of these sequences indicate novel lineages in all four dictyostelid families and most genera. This is especially true for the species-rich Heterostelium and Dictyosteliaceae but also the less species-rich Raperosteliaceae. However, the most novel deep branches are found in two very species-poor taxa, including the deepest branch yet seen in the highly divergent Cavenderiaceae. These results confirm a deep hidden diversity of Dictyostelia, potentially including novel morphologies and developmental schemes. The primers and protocols presented here should also enable more comprehensive studies of dictyostelid ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra L Baldauf
- Department of Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Norbyvägen 18D, University of Uppsala, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Maria Romeralo
- Department of Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Norbyvägen 18D, University of Uppsala, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Omar Fiz-Palacios
- Department of Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Norbyvägen 18D, University of Uppsala, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nahid Heidari
- Department of Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Norbyvägen 18D, University of Uppsala, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden
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174
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175
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Eme L, Spang A, Lombard J, Stairs CW, Ettema TJG. Archaea and the origin of eukaryotes. Nat Rev Microbiol 2017; 15:711-723. [DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2017.133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 279] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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