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Velle KB, Swafford AJM, Garner E, Fritz-Laylin LK. Actin network evolution as a key driver of eukaryotic diversification. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261660. [PMID: 39120594 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells have been evolving for billions of years, giving rise to wildly diverse cell forms and functions. Despite their variability, all eukaryotic cells share key hallmarks, including membrane-bound organelles, heavily regulated cytoskeletal networks and complex signaling cascades. Because the actin cytoskeleton interfaces with each of these features, understanding how it evolved and diversified across eukaryotic phyla is essential to understanding the evolution and diversification of eukaryotic cells themselves. Here, we discuss what we know about the origin and diversity of actin networks in terms of their compositions, structures and regulation, and how actin evolution contributes to the diversity of eukaryotic form and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina B Velle
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
| | | | - Ethan Garner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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2
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Lax C, Mondo SJ, Osorio-Concepción M, Muszewska A, Corrochano-Luque M, Gutiérrez G, Riley R, Lipzen A, Guo J, Hundley H, Amirebrahimi M, Ng V, Lorenzo-Gutiérrez D, Binder U, Yang J, Song Y, Cánovas D, Navarro E, Freitag M, Gabaldón T, Grigoriev IV, Corrochano LM, Nicolás FE, Garre V. Symmetric and asymmetric DNA N6-adenine methylation regulates different biological responses in Mucorales. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6066. [PMID: 39025853 PMCID: PMC11258239 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50365-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA N6-adenine methylation (6mA) has recently gained importance as an epigenetic modification in eukaryotes. Its function in lineages with high levels, such as early-diverging fungi (EDF), is of particular interest. Here, we investigated the biological significance and evolutionary implications of 6mA in EDF, which exhibit divergent evolutionary patterns in 6mA usage. The analysis of two Mucorales species displaying extreme 6mA usage reveals that species with high 6mA levels show symmetric methylation enriched in highly expressed genes. In contrast, species with low 6mA levels show mostly asymmetric 6mA. Interestingly, transcriptomic regulation throughout development and in response to environmental cues is associated with changes in the 6mA landscape. Furthermore, we identify an EDF-specific methyltransferase, likely originated from endosymbiotic bacteria, as responsible for asymmetric methylation, while an MTA-70 methylation complex performs symmetric methylation. The distinct phenotypes observed in the corresponding mutants reinforced the critical role of both types of 6mA in EDF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Lax
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Stephen J Mondo
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Macario Osorio-Concepción
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Anna Muszewska
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5A, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Gabriel Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Robert Riley
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Anna Lipzen
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jie Guo
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Hope Hundley
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Mojgan Amirebrahimi
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Vivian Ng
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Damaris Lorenzo-Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Ulrike Binder
- Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Junhuan Yang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Lingnan Normal University, Zhanjiang, 524048, China
| | - Yuanda Song
- Colin Ratledge Center for Microbial Lipids, School of Agricultural Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, China
| | - David Cánovas
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Eusebio Navarro
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Michael Freitag
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Plaça Eusebi Güell, 1-3, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac, 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Luis M Corrochano
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Francisco E Nicolás
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Victoriano Garre
- Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
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3
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Reber S, Singer M, Frischknecht F. Cytoskeletal dynamics in parasites. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2024; 86:102277. [PMID: 38048658 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2023.102277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Cytoskeletal dynamics are essential for cellular homeostasis and development for both metazoans and protozoans. The function of cytoskeletal elements in protozoans can diverge from that of metazoan cells, with microtubules being more stable and actin filaments being more dynamic. This is particularly striking in protozoan parasites that evolved to enter metazoan cells. Here, we review recent progress towards understanding cytoskeletal dynamics in protozoan parasites, with a focus on divergent properties compared to classic model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Reber
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany; University of Applied Sciences Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mirko Singer
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical Faculty, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, DZIF Partner Site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical Faculty, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, DZIF Partner Site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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4
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Kalinka E, Brody SM, Swafford AJM, Medina EM, Fritz-Laylin LK. Genetic transformation of the frog-killing chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317928121. [PMID: 38236738 PMCID: PMC10823177 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317928121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a causative agent of chytridiomycosis, is decimating amphibian populations around the world. Bd belongs to the chytrid lineage, a group of early-diverging fungi that are widely used to study fungal evolution. Like all chytrids, Bd develops from a motile form into a sessile, growth form, a transition that involves drastic changes in its cytoskeletal architecture. Efforts to study Bd cell biology, development, and pathogenicity have been limited by the lack of genetic tools with which to test hypotheses about underlying molecular mechanisms. Here, we report the development of a transient genetic transformation system for Bd. We used electroporation to deliver exogenous DNA into Bd cells and detected transgene expression for up to three generations under both heterologous and native promoters. We also adapted the transformation protocol for selection using an antibiotic resistance marker. Finally, we used this system to express fluorescent protein fusions and, as a proof of concept, expressed a genetically encoded probe for the actin cytoskeleton. Using live-cell imaging, we visualized the distribution and dynamics of polymerized actin at each stage of the Bd life cycle, as well as during key developmental transitions. This transformation system enables direct testing of key hypotheses regarding mechanisms of Bd pathogenesis. This technology also paves the way for answering fundamental questions of chytrid cell, developmental, and evolutionary biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Kalinka
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA01003
| | | | | | - Edgar M. Medina
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA01003
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5
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Mathur S, Haynes E, Allender MC, Gibbs HL. Genetic mechanisms and biological processes underlying host response to ophidiomycosis (snake fungal disease) inferred from tissue-specific transcriptome analyses. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17210. [PMID: 38010927 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases in wildlife species caused by pathogenic fungi are of growing concern, yet crucial knowledge gaps remain for diseases with potentially large impacts. For example, there is detailed knowledge about host pathology and mechanisms underlying response for chytridiomycosis in amphibians and white-nose syndrome in bats, but such information is lacking for other more recently described fungal infections. One such disease is ophidiomycosis, caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, which has been identified in many species of snakes, yet the biological mechanisms and molecular changes occurring during infection are unknown. To gain this information, we performed a controlled experimental infection in captive Prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) with O. ophidiicola at two different temperatures: 20 and 26°C. We then compared liver, kidney, and skin transcriptomes to assess tissue-specific genetic responses to O. ophidiicola infection. Given previous histopathological studies and the fact that snakes are ectotherms, we expected highest fungal activity on skin and a significant impact of temperature on host response. Although we found fungal activity to be localized on skin, most of the differential gene expression occurred in internal tissues. Infected snakes at the lower temperature had the highest host mortality whereas two-thirds of the infected snakes at the higher temperature survived. Our results suggest that ophidiomycosis is likely a systemic disease with long-term effects on host response. Our analysis also identified candidate protein coding genes that are potentially involved in host response, providing genetic tools for studies of host response to ophidiomycosis in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samarth Mathur
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Ellen Haynes
- Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Matthew C Allender
- Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Brookfield Zoo, Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield, Illinois, USA
| | - H Lisle Gibbs
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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6
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Uwamichi M, Miura Y, Kamiya A, Imoto D, Sawai S. Random walk and cell morphology dynamics in Naegleria gruberi. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1274127. [PMID: 38020930 PMCID: PMC10646312 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1274127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Amoeboid cell movement and migration are wide-spread across various cell types and species. Microscopy-based analysis of the model systems Dictyostelium and neutrophils over the years have uncovered generality in their overall cell movement pattern. Under no directional cues, the centroid movement can be quantitatively characterized by their persistence to move in a straight line and the frequency of re-orientation. Mathematically, the cells essentially behave as a persistent random walker with memory of two characteristic time-scale. Such quantitative characterization is important from a cellular-level ethology point of view as it has direct connotation to their exploratory and foraging strategies. Interestingly, outside the amoebozoa and metazoa, there are largely uncharacterized species in the excavate taxon Heterolobosea including amoeboflagellate Naegleria. While classical works have shown that these cells indeed show typical amoeboid locomotion on an attached surface, their quantitative features are so far unexplored. Here, we analyzed the cell movement of Naegleria gruberi by employing long-time phase contrast imaging that automatically tracks individual cells. We show that the cells move as a persistent random walker with two time-scales that are close to those known in Dictyostelium and neutrophils. Similarities were also found in the shape dynamics which are characterized by the appearance, splitting and annihilation of the curvature waves along the cell edge. Our analysis based on the Fourier descriptor and a neural network classifier point to importance of morphology features unique to Naegleria including complex protrusions and the transient bipolar dumbbell morphologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahito Uwamichi
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Miura
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ayako Kamiya
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Imoto
- Second Department of Forensic Science, National Research Institute of Police Science, Chiba, Japan
| | - Satoshi Sawai
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Research Center for Complex Systems Biology, Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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7
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Fritz-Laylin LK, Titus MA. The evolution and diversity of actin-dependent cell migration. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:pe6. [PMID: 37906436 PMCID: PMC10846614 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-08-0358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Many eukaryotic cells, including animal cells and unicellular amoebae, use dynamic-actin networks to crawl across solid surfaces. Recent discoveries of actin-dependent crawling in additional lineages have sparked interest in understanding how and when this type of motility evolved. Tracing the evolution of cell crawling requires understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying motility. Here we outline what is known about the diversity and evolution of the molecular mechanisms that drive cell motility, with a focus on actin-dependent crawling. Classic studies and recent work have revealed a surprising number of distinct mechanical modes of actin-dependent crawling used by different cell types and species to navigate different environments. The overlap in actin network regulators driving multiple types of actin-dependent crawling, along with cortical-actin networks that support the plasma membrane in these cells, suggest that actin motility and cortical actin networks might have a common evolutionary origin. The rapid development of additional evolutionarily diverse model systems, advanced imaging technologies, and CRISPR-based genetic tools, is opening the door to testing these and other new ideas about the evolution of actin-dependent cell crawling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Margaret A. Titus
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
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8
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Merényi Z, Krizsán K, Sahu N, Liu XB, Bálint B, Stajich JE, Spatafora JW, Nagy LG. Genomes of fungi and relatives reveal delayed loss of ancestral gene families and evolution of key fungal traits. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1221-1231. [PMID: 37349567 PMCID: PMC10406608 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02095-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Fungi are ecologically important heterotrophs that have radiated into most niches on Earth and fulfil key ecological services. Despite intense interest in their origins, major genomic trends of their evolutionary route from a unicellular opisthokont ancestor to derived multicellular fungi remain poorly known. Here we provide a highly resolved genome-wide catalogue of gene family changes across fungal evolution inferred from the genomes of 123 fungi and relatives. We show that a dominant trend in early fungal evolution has been the gradual shedding of protist genes and the punctuated emergence of innovation by two main gene duplication events. We find that the gene content of non-Dikarya fungi resembles that of unicellular opisthokonts in many respects, owing to the conservation of protist genes in their genomes. The most rapidly duplicating gene groups included extracellular proteins and transcription factors, as well as ones linked to the coordination of nutrient uptake with growth, highlighting the transition to a sessile osmotrophic feeding strategy and subsequent lifestyle evolution as important elements of early fungal history. These results suggest that the genomes of pre-fungal ancestors evolved into the typical filamentous fungal genome by a combination of gradual gene loss, turnover and several large duplication events rather than by abrupt changes. Consequently, the taxonomically defined Fungi represents a genomically non-uniform assemblage of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsolt Merényi
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Krizsán
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- Institute of Forensic Genetics, Hungarian Institute for Forensic Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Neha Sahu
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Xiao-Bin Liu
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Balázs Bálint
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Joseph W Spatafora
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - László G Nagy
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary.
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Songster LD, Bhuyan D, Christensen JR, Reck-Peterson SL. Woronin body hitchhiking on early endosomes is dispensable for septal localization in Aspergillus nidulans. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:br9. [PMID: 37017489 PMCID: PMC10295486 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e23-01-0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The proper functioning of organelles depends on their intracellular localization, mediated by motor protein-dependent transport on cytoskeletal tracks. Rather than directly associating with a motor protein, peroxisomes move by hitchhiking on motile early endosomes in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. However, the physiological role of peroxisome hitchhiking is unclear. Peroxisome hitchhiking requires the protein PxdA, which is conserved within the fungal subphylum Pezizomycotina but absent from other fungal clades. Woronin bodies are specialized peroxisomes that are also unique to the Pezizomycotina. In these fungi, multinucleate hyphal segments are separated by incomplete cell walls called septa that possess a central pore enabling cytoplasmic exchange. Upon damage to a hyphal segment, Woronin bodies plug septal pores to prevent widespread leakage. Here, we tested whether peroxisome hitchhiking is important for Woronin body motility, distribution, and function in A. nidulans. We show that Woronin body proteins are present within all motile peroxisomes and hitchhike on PxdA-labeled early endosomes during bidirectional, long-distance movements. Loss of peroxisome hitchhiking significantly affected Woronin body distribution and motility in the cytoplasm, but Woronin body hitchhiking is ultimately dispensable for septal localization and plugging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia D. Songster
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Devahuti Bhuyan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Jenna R. Christensen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Samara L. Reck-Peterson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
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10
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Olivetta M, Dudin O. The nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio drives cellularization in the close animal relative Sphaeroforma arctica. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1597-1605.e3. [PMID: 36996815 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
The ratio of nuclear content to cytoplasmic volume (N/C ratio) is a key regulator driving the maternal-to-zygotic transition in most animal embryos. Altering this ratio often impacts zygotic genome activation and deregulates the timing and outcome of embryogenesis.1,2,3 Despite being ubiquitous across animals, little is known about when the N/C ratio evolved to control multicellular development. Such capacity either originated with the emergence of animal multicellularity or was co-opted from the mechanisms present in unicellular organisms.4 An effective strategy to tackle this question is to investigate the close relatives of animals exhibiting life cycles with transient multicellular stages.5 Among these are ichthyosporeans, a lineage of protists undergoing coenocytic development followed by cellularization and cell release.6,7,8 During cellularization, a transient multicellular stage resembling animal epithelia is generated, offering a unique opportunity to examine whether the N/C ratio regulates multicellular development. Here, we use time-lapse microscopy to characterize how the N/C ratio affects the life cycle of the best-studied ichthyosporean model, Sphaeroforma arctica. We uncover that the last stages of cellularization coincide with a significant increase in the N/C ratio. Increasing the N/C ratio by reducing the coenocytic volume accelerates cellularization, whereas decreasing the N/C ratio by lowering the nuclear content halts it. Moreover, centrifugation and pharmacological inhibitor experiments suggest that the N/C ratio is locally sensed at the cortex and relies on phosphatase activity. Altogether, our results show that the N/C ratio drives cellularization in S. arctica, suggesting that its capacity to control multicellular development predates animal emergence.
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11
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Songster LD, Bhuyan D, Christensen JR, Reck-Peterson SL. Woronin bodies move dynamically and bidirectionally by hitchhiking on early endosomes in Aspergillus nidulans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.20.524968. [PMID: 36711994 PMCID: PMC9882315 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.20.524968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The proper functioning of organelles depends on their intracellular localization, mediated by motor protein-dependent transport on cytoskeletal tracks. Rather than directly associating with a motor protein, peroxisomes move by hitchhiking on motile early endosomes in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans . However, the cellular function of peroxisome hitchhiking is unclear. Peroxisome hitchhiking requires the protein PxdA, which is conserved within the fungal subphylum Pezizomycotina, but absent from other fungal clades. Woronin bodies are specialized peroxisomes that are also unique to the Pezizomycotina. In these fungi, multinucleate hyphal segments are separated by incomplete cell walls called septa that possess a central pore enabling cytoplasmic exchange. Upon damage to a hyphal segment, Woronin bodies plug septal pores to prevent wide-spread leakage. Here, we tested if peroxisome hitchhiking is important for Woronin body motility, distribution, and function in A. nidulans . We show that Woronin body proteins are present within all motile peroxisomes and hitchhike on PxdA-labeled early endosomes during bidirectional, long-distance movements. Loss of peroxisome hitchhiking by knocking out pxdA significantly affected Woronin body distribution and motility in the cytoplasm, but Woronin body hitchhiking is ultimately dispensable for septal localization and plugging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia D. Songster
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Devahuti Bhuyan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jenna R. Christensen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA,Correspondence should be addressed to JRC () or SLR-P ()
| | - Samara L. Reck-Peterson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA,Correspondence should be addressed to JRC () or SLR-P ()
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12
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Mikhailov KV, Karpov SA, Letcher PM, Lee PA, Logacheva MD, Penin AA, Nesterenko MA, Pozdnyakov IR, Potapenko EV, Sherbakov DY, Panchin YV, Aleoshin VV. Genomic analysis reveals cryptic diversity in aphelids and sheds light on the emergence of Fungi. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4607-4619.e7. [PMID: 36126656 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, molecular phylogenetics has reshaped our understanding of the fungal tree of life by unraveling a hitherto elusive diversity of the protistan relatives of Fungi. Aphelida constitutes one of these novel deep branches that precede the emergence of osmotrophic fungal lifestyle and hold particular significance as the pathogens of algae. Here, we obtain and analyze the genomes of aphelid species Amoeboaphelidium protococcarum and Amoeboaphelidium occidentale. Genomic data unmask the vast divergence between these species, hidden behind their morphological similarity, and reveal hybrid genomes with a complex evolutionary history in two strains of A. protococcarum. We confirm the proposed sister relationship between Aphelida and Fungi using phylogenomic analysis and chart the reduction of characteristic proteins involved in phagocytic activity in the evolution of Holomycota. Annotation of aphelid genomes demonstrates the retention of actin nucleation-promoting complexes associated with phagocytosis and amoeboid motility and also reveals a conspicuous expansion of receptor-like protein kinases, uncharacteristic of fungal lineages. We find that aphelids possess multiple carbohydrate-processing enzymes that are involved in fungal cell wall synthesis but do not display rich complements of algal cell-wall-processing enzymes, suggesting an independent origin of fungal plant-degrading capabilities. Aphelid genomes show that the emergence of Fungi from phagotrophic ancestors relied on a common cell wall synthetic machinery but required a different set of proteins for digestion and interaction with the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill V Mikhailov
- Belozersky Institute for Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russian Federation; Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127051, Russian Federation.
| | - Sergey A Karpov
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation; Biological Faculty, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation
| | - Peter M Letcher
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0344, USA
| | - Philip A Lee
- Allegheny Science and Technology, Bridgeport, WV 26330, USA
| | - Maria D Logacheva
- Belozersky Institute for Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russian Federation; Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127051, Russian Federation; Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russian Federation
| | - Aleksey A Penin
- Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127051, Russian Federation
| | - Maksim A Nesterenko
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation; Biological Faculty, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation
| | - Igor R Pozdnyakov
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation
| | - Evgenii V Potapenko
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Dmitry Y Sherbakov
- Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk 664033, Russian Federation; Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russian Federation
| | - Yuri V Panchin
- Belozersky Institute for Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russian Federation; Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127051, Russian Federation
| | - Vladimir V Aleoshin
- Belozersky Institute for Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russian Federation; Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127051, Russian Federation
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13
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Abstract
It has been assumed that fungi are characterized by a haploid-dominant life cycle with a general absence of mitosis in the diploid stage (haplontic life cycles). However, this characterization is based largely on information for Dikarya, a group of fungi that contains mushrooms, lichens, molds, yeasts, and most described fungi. We now appreciate that most early-diverging lineages of fungi are not Dikarya and share traits with protists, such as flagellated life stages. Here, we generated an improved phylogeny of the fungi by generating genome sequences of 69 zoosporic fungi. We show, using the estimated heterozygosity of these genomes, that many fungal lineages have diploid-dominant life cycles (diplontic). This finding forces us to rethink the early evolution of the fungal cell. Most of the described species in kingdom Fungi are contained in two phyla, the Ascomycota and the Basidiomycota (subkingdom Dikarya). As a result, our understanding of the biology of the kingdom is heavily influenced by traits observed in Dikarya, such as aerial spore dispersal and life cycles dominated by mitosis of haploid nuclei. We now appreciate that Fungi comprises numerous phylum-level lineages in addition to those of Dikarya, but the phylogeny and genetic characteristics of most of these lineages are poorly understood due to limited genome sampling. Here, we addressed major evolutionary trends in the non-Dikarya fungi by phylogenomic analysis of 69 newly generated draft genome sequences of the zoosporic (flagellated) lineages of true fungi. Our phylogeny indicated five lineages of zoosporic fungi and placed Blastocladiomycota, which has an alternation of haploid and diploid generations, as branching closer to the Dikarya than to the Chytridiomyceta. Our estimates of heterozygosity based on genome sequence data indicate that the zoosporic lineages plus the Zoopagomycota are frequently characterized by diploid-dominant life cycles. We mapped additional traits, such as ancestral cell-cycle regulators, cell-membrane– and cell-wall–associated genes, and the use of the amino acid selenocysteine on the phylogeny and found that these ancestral traits that are shared with Metazoa have been subject to extensive parallel loss across zoosporic lineages. Together, our results indicate a gradual transition in the genetics and cell biology of fungi from their ancestor and caution against assuming that traits measured in Dikarya are typical of other fungal lineages.
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Pathogenesis: How a killer fungus targets its host. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R583-R585. [PMID: 35728533 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The cellular signals that trigger pathogen recognition of its target hosts are critical components in the infection cycle. A new study describes the amphibian host cues that induce spore germination in the deadly pathogen that causes chytridiomycosis.
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15
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A light-sensing system in the common ancestor of the fungi. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3146-3153.e3. [PMID: 35675809 PMCID: PMC9616733 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Diverse light-sensing organs (i.e., eyes) have evolved across animals. Interestingly, several subcellular analogs have been found in eukaryotic microbes.1 All of these systems have a common “recipe”: a light occluding or refractory surface juxtaposed to a membrane-layer enriched in type I rhodopsins.1, 2, 3, 4 In the fungi, several lineages have been shown to detect light using a diversity of non-homologous photo-responsive proteins.5, 6, 7 However, these systems are not associated with an eyespot-like organelle with one exception found in the zoosporic fungus Blastocladiella emersonii (Be).8Be possesses both elements of this recipe: an eyespot composed of lipid-filled structures (often called the side-body complex [SBC]), co-localized with a membrane enriched with a gene-fusion protein composed of a type I (microbial) rhodopsin and guanylyl cyclase enzyme domain (CyclOp-fusion protein).8,9 Here, we identify homologous pathway components in four Chytridiomycota orders (Chytridiales, Synchytriales, Rhizophydiales, and Monoblepharidiales). To further explore the architecture of the fungal zoospore and its lipid organelles, we reviewed electron microscopy data (e.g., the works of Barr and Hartmann10 and Reichle and Fuller11) and performed fluorescence-microscopy imaging of four CyclOp-carrying zoosporic fungal species, showing the presence of a variety of candidate eyespot-cytoskeletal ultrastructure systems. We then assessed the presence of canonical photoreceptors across the fungi and inferred that the last common fungal ancestor was able to sense light across a range of wavelengths using a variety of systems, including blue-green-light detection. Our data imply, independently of how the fungal tree of life is rooted, that the apparatus for a CyclOp-organelle light perception system was an ancestral feature of the fungi. A wide diversity of flagellated fungi possess the CyclOp light response circuit The same fungi possess the subcellular equipment to build lipid-based eyespots The last common ancestor of fungi possessed the CyclOp eyespot system The ancestral fungus could see a rainbow of light wavelengths
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Robinson KA, Prostak SM, Campbell Grant EH, Fritz-Laylin LK. Amphibian mucus triggers a developmental transition in the frog-killing chytrid fungus. Curr Biol 2022; 32:2765-2771.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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17
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Laundon D, Chrismas N, Bird K, Thomas S, Mock T, Cunliffe M. A cellular and molecular atlas reveals the basis of chytrid development. eLife 2022; 11:73933. [PMID: 35227375 PMCID: PMC8887899 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The chytrids (phylum Chytridiomycota) are a major fungal lineage of ecological and evolutionary importance. Despite their importance, many fundamental aspects of chytrid developmental and cell biology remain poorly understood. To address these knowledge gaps, we combined quantitative volume electron microscopy and comparative transcriptome profiling to create an 'atlas' of the cellular and molecular basis of the chytrid life cycle, using the model chytrid Rhizoclosmatium globosum. From our developmental atlas, we describe the transition from the transcriptionally inactive free-swimming zoospore to the more biologically complex germling, and show that lipid processing is multifaceted and dynamic throughout the life cycle. We demonstrate that the chytrid apophysis is a compartmentalised site of high intracellular trafficking, linking the feeding/attaching rhizoids to the reproductive zoosporangium, and constituting division of labour in the chytrid cell plan. We provide evidence that during zoosporogenesis, zoospores display amoeboid morphologies and exhibit endocytotic cargo transport from the interstitial maternal cytoplasm. Taken together, our results reveal insights into chytrid developmental biology and provide a basis for future investigations into non-dikaryan fungal cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davis Laundon
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, United Kingdom.,School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan Chrismas
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Kimberley Bird
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Seth Thomas
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Mock
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Cunliffe
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, United Kingdom.,School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
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18
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Prostak SM, Fritz-Laylin LK. Laboratory Maintenance of the Chytrid Fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e309. [PMID: 34870903 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a causative agent of chytridiomycosis, a skin disease associated with amphibian population declines around the world. Despite the major impact Bd is having on global ecosystems, much of Bd's basic biology remains unstudied. In addition to revealing mechanisms driving the spread of chytridiomycosis, studying Bd can shed light on the evolution of key fungal traits because chytrid fungi, including Bd, diverged before the radiation of the Dikaryotic fungi (multicellular fungi and yeast). Studying Bd in the laboratory is, therefore, of growing interest to a wide range of scientists, ranging from herpetologists and disease ecologists to molecular, cell, and evolutionary biologists. This protocol describes how to maintain developmentally synchronized liquid cultures of Bd for use in the laboratory, how to grow Bd on solid media, as well as cryopreservation and revival of frozen stocks. © 2021 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Reviving cryopreserved Bd cultures Basic Protocol 2: Establishing synchronized liquid cultures of Bd Basic Protocol 3: Regular maintenance of synchronous Bd in liquid culture Alternate Protocol 1: Regular maintenance of asynchronous Bd in liquid culture Basic Protocol 4: Regular maintenance of synchronous Bd on solid medium Alternate Protocol 2: Starting a culture on solid medium from a liquid culture Basic Protocol 5: Cryopreservation of Bd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Prostak
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
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19
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Funk J, Merino F, Schaks M, Rottner K, Raunser S, Bieling P. A barbed end interference mechanism reveals how capping protein promotes nucleation in branched actin networks. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5329. [PMID: 34504078 PMCID: PMC8429771 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25682-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterodimeric capping protein (CP/CapZ) is an essential factor for the assembly of branched actin networks, which push against cellular membranes to drive a large variety of cellular processes. Aside from terminating filament growth, CP potentiates the nucleation of actin filaments by the Arp2/3 complex in branched actin networks through an unclear mechanism. Here, we combine structural biology with in vitro reconstitution to demonstrate that CP not only terminates filament elongation, but indirectly stimulates the activity of Arp2/3 activating nucleation promoting factors (NPFs) by preventing their association to filament barbed ends. Key to this function is one of CP's C-terminal "tentacle" extensions, which sterically masks the main interaction site of the terminal actin protomer. Deletion of the β tentacle only modestly impairs capping. However, in the context of a growing branched actin network, its removal potently inhibits nucleation promoting factors by tethering them to capped filament ends. End tethering of NPFs prevents their loading with actin monomers required for activation of the Arp2/3 complex and thus strongly inhibits branched network assembly both in cells and reconstituted motility assays. Our results mechanistically explain how CP couples two opposed processes-capping and nucleation-in branched actin network assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Funk
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Felipe Merino
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany.,Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Schaks
- Division of Molecular Cell Biology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Cell Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Klemens Rottner
- Division of Molecular Cell Biology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Cell Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stefan Raunser
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany.
| | - Peter Bieling
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany.
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20
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Fisher MC, Pasmans F, Martel A. Virulence and Pathogenicity of Chytrid Fungi Causing Amphibian Extinctions. Annu Rev Microbiol 2021; 75:673-693. [PMID: 34351790 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-052621-124212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Ancient enzootic associations between wildlife and their infections allow evolution to innovate mechanisms of pathogenicity that are counterbalanced by host responses. However, erosion of barriers to pathogen dispersal by globalization leads to the infection of hosts that have not evolved effective resistance and the emergence of highly virulent infections. Global amphibian declines driven by the rise of chytrid fungi and chytridiomycosis are emblematic of emerging infections. Here, we review how modern biological methods have been used to understand the adaptations and counteradaptations that these fungi and their amphibian hosts have evolved. We explore the interplay of biotic and abiotic factors that modify the virulence of these infections and dissect the complexity of this disease system. We highlight progress that has led to insights into how we might in the future lessen the impact of these emerging infections. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 75 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Fisher
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom;
| | - Frank Pasmans
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - An Martel
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
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21
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Kożyczkowska A, Najle SR, Ocaña-Pallarès E, Aresté C, Shabardina V, Ara PS, Ruiz-Trillo I, Casacuberta E. Stable transfection in protist Corallochytriumlimacisporum identifies novel cellular features among unicellular animals relatives. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4104-4110.e5. [PMID: 34293333 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The evolutionary path from protists to multicellular animals remains a mystery. Recent work on the genomes of several unicellular relatives of animals has shaped our understanding of the genetic changes that may have occurred in this transition.1-3 However, the specific cellular modifications that took place to accommodate these changes remain unclear. To address this, we need to compare metazoan cells with those of their extant relatives, which are choanoflagellates, filastereans, ichthyosporeans, and corallochytreans/pluriformeans. Interestingly, these lineages display a range of developmental patterns potentially homologous to animal ones. Genetic tools have already been established in three of those lineages.4-7 However, there are no genetic tools available for Corallochytrea. We here report the development of stable transfection in the corallochytrean Corallochytrium limacisporum. Using these tools, we discern previously unknown biological features of C. limacisporum. In particular, we identify two different paths for cell division-binary fission and coenocytic growth-that reveal a non-linear life cycle. Additionally, we found that C. limacisporum is binucleate for most of its life cycle, and that, contrary to what happens in most eukaryotes, nuclear division is decoupled from cellular division. Moreover, its actin cytoskeleton shares characteristics with both fungal and animal cells. The establishment of these tools in C. limacisporum fills an important gap in the unicellular relatives of animals, opening up new avenues of research to elucidate the specific cellular changes that occurred in the evolution of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Kożyczkowska
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sebastián R Najle
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Eduard Ocaña-Pallarès
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Cristina Aresté
- Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Victoria Shabardina
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Patricia S Ara
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 645, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; ICREA, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Elena Casacuberta
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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