Mitochondrion‐Derived Organelles in Protists and Fungi

How Did Thylakoids Emerge in Cyanobacteria, and How Were the Primary Chloroplast and Chromatophore Acquired?

The emergence of thylakoid membranes in cyanobacteria is a key event in the evolution of all oxygenic photosynthetic cells, from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. Recent analyses show that they could originate from a unique lipid phase transition rather than from a supposed vesicular budding mechanism. Emergence of thylakoids coincided with the great oxygenation event, more than two billion years ago. The acquisition of semi-autonomous organelles, such as the mitochondrion, the chloroplast, and, more recently, the chromatophore, is a critical step in the evolution of eukaryotes. They resulted from primary endosymbiotic events that seem to share general features, i.e., an acquisition of a bacterium/cyanobacteria likely via a phagocytic membrane, a genome reduction coinciding with an escape of genes from the organelle to the nucleus, and, finally, the appearance of an active system translocating nuclear-encoded proteins back to the organelles. An intense mobilization of foreign genes of bacterial origin, via horizontal gene transfers, plays a critical role. Some third partners, like Chlamydia, might have facilitated the transition from cyanobacteria to the early chloroplast. This chapter further details our current understanding of primary endosymbiosis, focusing on primary chloroplasts, thought to have appeared over a billion years ago, and the chromatophore, which appeared around a hundred years ago.

Functional characterization of Nosema bombycis (microsporidia) trehalase 3

Nosema bombycis, an obligate intracellular parasite, is a single-celled eukaryote known to infect various tissues of silkworms, leading to the manifestation of pebrine. Trehalase, a glycosidase responsible for catalyzing the hydrolysis of trehalose into two glucose molecules, assumes a crucial role in thermal stress tolerance, dehydration, desiccation stress, and asexual development. Despite its recognized importance in these processes, the specific role of trehalase in N. bombycis remains uncertain. This investigation focused on exploring the functions of trehalase 3 in N. bombycis (NbTre3). Immunofluorescence analysis of mature (dormant) spores indicated that NbTre3 primarily localizes to the spore membrane or spore wall, suggesting a potential involvement in spore germination. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction results indicated that the transcriptional level of NbTre3 peaked at 6 h post N. bombycis infection, potentially contributing to energy storage for proliferation. Throughout the life cycle of N. bombycis within the host cell, NbTre3 was detected in sporoplasm during the proliferative stage rather than the sporulation stage. RNA interference experiments revealed a substantial decrease in the relative transcriptional level of NbTre3, accompanied by a certain reduction in the relative transcriptional level of Nb16S rRNA. These outcomes suggest that NbTre3 may play a role in the proliferation of N. bombycis. The application of the His pull-down technique identified 28 proteins interacting with NbTre3, predominantly originating from the host silkworm. This finding implies that NbTre3 may participate in the metabolism of the host cell, potentially utilizing the host cell's energy resources.

Genetic Variability of the Internal Transcribed Spacer and Pyruvate:Ferredoxin Oxidoreductase Partial Gene of Trichomonas vaginalis from Female Patients

In the present study, we evaluated the genetic variability of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (pfor) A gene of Trichomonas vaginalis from female patients and its possible implications in the host-parasite relationship. Phylogenetic and genetics of populations analyses were performed by analyzing sequences of the ITS region and partial pfor A gene of clinical samples with T. vaginalis, as previously documented. Alignments of protein sequences and prediction of three-dimensional structure were also performed. Although no correlation between the main clinical characteristics of the samples and the results of phylogeny was found, a median-joining analysis of ITS haplotypes showed two main clusters. Also, pfor A, due to its phylogenetic divergence, could be used as a marker to confirm the genus and species of trichomonads. Alignment of protein sequences and prediction of three-dimensional structure showed that PFOR A had a highly conserved structure with two synonymous mutations in the PFOR domain, substituting a V for a G or a S for a P. Our results suggest that the role of genetic variability of PFOR and ITS may not be significant in the symptomatology of this pathogen; however, their utility as genus and species markers in trichomonads is promising.

Adaptability and Evolution of Gobiidae: A Genetic Exploration

The Gobiidae family occupy one of the most diverse habitat ranges of all fishes. One key reason for their successful colonization of different habitats is their ability to adapt to different energy demands. This energy requirement is related to the ability of mitochondria in cells to generate energy via oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Here, we assembled three complete mitochondrial genomes of Rhinogobius shennongensis, Rhinogobius wuyanlingensis, and Chaenogobius annularis. These mitogenomes are circular and include 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, and one non-coding control region (CR). We used comparative mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome and selection pressure analyses to explore the structure and evolutionary rates of Gobiidae mitogenomics in different environments. The CmC model showed that the ω ratios of all mtDNA PCGs were <1, and that the evolutionary rate of adenosine triphosphate 8 (atp8) was faster in Gobiidae than in other mitochondrial DNA PCGs. We also found evidence of positive selection for several sites of NADH dehydrogenase (nd) 6 and atp8 genes. Thus, divergent mechanisms appear to underlie the evolution of mtDNA PCGs, which might explain the ability of Gobiidae to adapt to diverse environments. Our study provides new insights on the adaptive evolution of Gobiidae mtDNA genome and molecular mechanisms of OXPHOS.

Comparative Mitogenomics of Fungal Species in Stachybotryaceae Provides Evolutionary Insights into Hypocreales

Stachybotrys chartarum is one of the world’s ten most feared fungi within the family Stachybotryaceae, although to date, not a single mitogenome has been documented for Stachybotryaceae. Herein, six mitogenomes of four different species in Stachybotryaceae are newly reported. The S. chartarum mitogenome was 30.7 kb in length and contained two introns (one each in rnl and cox1). A comparison of the mitogenomes of three different individuals of S. chartarum showed few nucleotide variations and conservation of gene content/order and intron insertion. A comparison of the mitogenomes of four different Stachybotryaceae species (Memnoniella echinata, Myrothecium inundatum, S. chartarum, and S. chlorohalonata), however, revealed variations in intron insertion, gene order/content, and nad2/nad3 joining pattern. Further investigations on all Hypocreales species with available mitogenomes showed greater variabilities in gene order (six patterns) and nad2/nad3 joining pattern (five patterns) although a dominant pattern always existed in each case. Ancestral state estimation showed that in each case the dominant pattern was always more ancestral than those rare patterns. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrion-encoded genes supported the placement of Stachybotryaceae in Hypocreales. The crown age of Stachybotryaceae was estimated to be approximately the Early Cretaceous (141–142 Mya). This study greatly promotes our understanding of the evolution of fungal species in Hypocreales.

Bacterial Genes Outnumber Archaeal Genes in Eukaryotic Genomes

Eukaryotes are typically depicted as descendants of archaea, but their genomes are evolutionary chimeras with genes stemming from archaea and bacteria. Which prokaryotic heritage predominates? Here, we have clustered 19,050,992 protein sequences from 5,443 bacteria and 212 archaea with 3,420,731 protein sequences from 150 eukaryotes spanning six eukaryotic supergroups. By downsampling, we obtain estimates for the bacterial and archaeal proportions. Eukaryotic genomes possess a bacterial majority of genes. On average, the majority of bacterial genes is 56% overall, 53% in eukaryotes that never possessed plastids, and 61% in photosynthetic eukaryotic lineages, where the cyanobacterial ancestor of plastids contributed additional genes to the eukaryotic lineage. Intracellular parasites, which undergo reductive evolution in adaptation to the nutrient rich environment of the cells that they infect, relinquish bacterial genes for metabolic processes. Such adaptive gene loss is most pronounced in the human parasite Encephalitozoon intestinalis with 86% archaeal and 14% bacterial derived genes. The most bacterial eukaryote genome sampled is rice, with 67% bacterial and 33% archaeal genes. The functional dichotomy, initially described for yeast, of archaeal genes being involved in genetic information processing and bacterial genes being involved in metabolic processes is conserved across all eukaryotic supergroups.

Heterologous Hydrogenase Overproduction Systems for Biotechnology-An Overview

Hydrogenases are complex metalloenzymes, showing tremendous potential as H2-converting redox catalysts for application in light-driven H2 production, enzymatic fuel cells and H2-driven cofactor regeneration. They catalyze the reversible oxidation of hydrogen into protons and electrons. The apo-enzymes are not active unless they are modified by a complicated post-translational maturation process that is responsible for the assembly and incorporation of the complex metal center. The catalytic center is usually easily inactivated by oxidation, and the separation and purification of the active protein is challenging. The understanding of the catalytic mechanisms progresses slowly, since the purification of the enzymes from their native hosts is often difficult, and in some case impossible. Over the past decades, only a limited number of studies report the homologous or heterologous production of high yields of hydrogenase. In this review, we emphasize recent discoveries that have greatly improved our understanding of microbial hydrogenases. We compare various heterologous hydrogenase production systems as well as in vitro hydrogenase maturation systems and discuss their perspectives for enhanced biohydrogen production. Additionally, activities of hydrogenases isolated from either recombinant organisms or in vivo/in vitro maturation approaches were systematically compared, and future perspectives for this research area are discussed.

Tripartite Symbiosis of an Anaerobic Scuticociliate with Two Hydrogenosome-Associated Endosymbionts, a Holospora-Related Alphaproteobacterium and a Methanogenic Archaeon

A number of anaerobic ciliates, unicellular eukaryotes, intracellularly possess methanogenic archaea and bacteria as symbiotic partners. Although this tripartite relationship is of interest in terms of the fact that each participant is from a different domain, the difficulty in culture and maintenance of those host species with symbiotic partners has disturbed both ecological and functional studies so far. In this study, we obtained a stable culture of a small anaerobic scuticociliate, strain GW7. By transmission electron microscopic observation and fluorescent in situ hybridization with domain-specific probes, we demonstrate that GW7 possesses both archaeal and bacterial endosymbionts in its cytoplasm. These endosymbionts are in dependently associated with hydrogenosomes, which are organelle producing hydrogen and ATP under anaerobic conditions. Clone library analyses targeting prokaryotic 16S rRNA genes, fluorescent in situ hybridization with endosymbiont-specific probes, and molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed the phylogenetic affiliations and intracellular localizations of these endosymbionts. The endosymbiotic archaeon is a methanogen belonging to the genus Methanoregula (order Methanomicrobiales); a member of this genus has previously been described as the endosymbiont of an anaerobic ciliate from the genus Metopus (class Armophorea), which is only distantly related to strain GW7 (class Oligohymenophorea). The endosymbiotic bacterium belongs to the family Holosporaceae of the class Alphaproteobacteria, which also comprises several endosymbionts of various aerobic ciliates. For this endosymbiotic bacterium, we propose a novel candidate genus and species, "Candidatus Hydrogenosomobacter endosymbioticus."IMPORTANCE Tripartite symbioses between anaerobic ciliated protists and their intracellular archaeal and bacterial symbionts are not uncommon, but most reports have been based mainly on microscopic observations. Deeper insights into the function, ecology, and evolution of these fascinating symbioses involving partners from all three domains of life have been hampered by the difficulties of culturing anaerobic ciliates in the laboratory and the frequent loss of their prokaryotic partners during long-term cultivation. In the present study, we report the isolation of an anaerobic scuticociliate, strain GW7, which has been stably maintained in our laboratory for more than 3 years without losing either of its endosymbionts. Unexpectedly, molecular characterization of the endosymbionts revealed that the bacterial partner of GW7 is phylogenetically related to intranuclear endosymbionts of aerobic ciliates. This strain will enable future genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses of the interactions in this tripartite symbiosis and a comparison with endosymbioses in aerobic ciliates.

Proposal of a new nomenclature for introns in protein-coding genes in fungal mitogenomes

Fungal mitochondrial genes are often invaded by group I or II introns, which represent an ideal marker for understanding fungal evolution. A standard nomenclature of mitochondrial introns is needed to avoid confusion when comparing different fungal mitogenomes. Currently, there has been a standard nomenclature for introns present in rRNA genes, but there is a lack of a standard nomenclature for introns present in protein-coding genes. In this study, we propose a new nomenclature system for introns in fungal mitochondrial protein-coding genes based on (1) three-letter abbreviation of host scientific name, (2) host gene name, (3), one capital letter P (for group I introns), S (for group II introns), or U (for introns with unknown types), and (4) intron insertion site in the host gene according to the cyclosporin-producing fungus Tolypocladium inflatum. The suggested nomenclature was proved feasible by naming introns present in mitogenomes of 16 fungi of different phyla, including both basal and higher fungal lineages although minor adjustment of the nomenclature is needed to fit certain special conditions. The nomenclature also had the potential to name plant/protist/animal mitochondrial introns. We hope future studies follow the proposed nomenclature to ensure direct comparison across different studies.

Energy metabolism in anaerobic eukaryotes and Earth's late oxygenation

Eukaryotes arose about 1.6 billion years ago, at a time when oxygen levels were still very low on Earth, both in the atmosphere and in the ocean. According to newer geochemical data, oxygen rose to approximately its present atmospheric levels very late in evolution, perhaps as late as the origin of land plants (only about 450 million years ago). It is therefore natural that many lineages of eukaryotes harbor, and use, enzymes for oxygen-independent energy metabolism. This paper provides a concise overview of anaerobic energy metabolism in eukaryotes with a focus on anaerobic energy metabolism in mitochondria. We also address the widespread assumption that oxygen improves the overall energetic state of a cell. While it is true that ATP yield from glucose or amino acids is increased in the presence of oxygen, it is also true that the synthesis of biomass costs thirteen times more energy per cell in the presence of oxygen than in anoxic conditions. This is because in the reaction of cellular biomass with O2, the equilibrium lies very far on the side of CO2. The absence of oxygen offers energetic benefits of the same magnitude as the presence of oxygen. Anaerobic and low oxygen environments are ancient. During evolution, some eukaryotes have specialized to life in permanently oxic environments (life on land), other eukaryotes have remained specialized to low oxygen habitats. We suggest that the Km of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase of 0.1-10 μM for O2, which corresponds to about 0.04%-4% (avg. 0.4%) of present atmospheric O2 levels, reflects environmental O2 concentrations that existed at the time that the eukaryotes arose.

Mitochondrial Glycolysis in a Major Lineage of Eukaryotes

The establishment of the mitochondrion is seen as a transformational step in the origin of eukaryotes. With the mitochondrion came bioenergetic freedom to explore novel evolutionary space leading to the eukaryotic radiation known today. The tight integration of the bacterial endosymbiont with its archaeal host was accompanied by a massive endosymbiotic gene transfer resulting in a small mitochondrial genome which is just a ghost of the original incoming bacterial genome. This endosymbiotic gene transfer resulted in the loss of many genes, both from the bacterial symbiont as well the archaeal host. Loss of genes encoding redundant functions resulted in a replacement of the bulk of the host’s metabolism for those originating from the endosymbiont. Glycolysis is one such metabolic pathway in which the original archaeal enzymes have been replaced by bacterial enzymes from the endosymbiont. Glycolysis is a major catabolic pathway that provides cellular energy from the breakdown of glucose. The glycolytic pathway of eukaryotes appears to be bacterial in origin, and in well-studied model eukaryotes it takes place in the cytosol. In contrast, here we demonstrate that the latter stages of glycolysis take place in the mitochondria of stramenopiles, a diverse and ecologically important lineage of eukaryotes. Although our work is based on a limited sample of stramenopiles, it leaves open the possibility that the mitochondrial targeting of glycolytic enzymes in stramenopiles might represent the ancestral state for eukaryotes.

Primary Endosymbiosis: Emergence of the Primary Chloroplast and the Chromatophore, Two Independent Events

The emergence of semiautonomous organelles, such as the mitochondrion, the chloroplast, and more recently, the chromatophore, are critical steps in the evolution of eukaryotes. They resulted from primary endosymbiotic events that seem to share general features, i.e., an acquisition of a bacterium/cyanobacteria likely via a phagocytic membrane, a genome reduction coinciding with an escape of genes from the organelle to the nucleus, and finally the appearance of an active system translocating nuclear-encoded proteins back to the organelles. An intense mobilization of foreign genes of bacterial origin, via horizontal gene transfers, plays a critical role. Some third partners, like Chlamydia, might have facilitated the transition from cyanobacteria to the early chloroplast. This chapter describes our current understanding of primary endosymbiosis, with a specific focus on primary chloroplasts considered to have emerged more than one billion years ago, and on the chromatophore, having emerged about one hundred million years ago.

Effects of the vertically transmitted microsporidian Facilispora margolisi and the parasiticide emamectin benzoate on salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis)

Background

Microsporidia are highly specialized, parasitic fungi that infect a wide range of eukaryotic hosts from all major taxa. Infections cause a variety of damaging effects on host physiology from increased stress to death. The microsporidian Facilispora margolisi infects the Pacific salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis oncorhynchi), an economically and ecologically important ectoparasitic copepod that can impact wild and cultured salmonids.

Results

Vertical transmission of F. margolisi was demonstrated by using PCR and in situ hybridization to identify and localize microsporidia in female L. salmonis and their offspring. Spores and developmental structures of F. margolisi were identified in 77% of F₁ generation copepods derived from infected females while offspring from uninfected females all tested negative for the microsporidia. The transcriptomic response of the salmon louse to F. margolisi was profiled at both the copepodid larval stage and the pre-adult stage using microarray technology. Infected copepodids differentially expressed 577 transcripts related to stress, ATP generation and structural components of muscle and cuticle. The infection also impacted the response of the copepodid to the parasiticide emamectin benzoate (EMB) at a low dose of 1.0 ppb for 24 h. A set of 48 transcripts putatively involved in feeding and host immunomodulation were up to 8-fold underexpressed in the F. margolisi infected copepodids treated with EMB compared with controls or either stressor alone. Additionally, these infected lice treated with EMB also overexpressed 101 transcripts involved in stress resistance and signalling compared to the other groups. In contrast, infected pre-adult lice did not display a stress response, suggesting a decrease in microsporidian virulence associated with lice maturity. Furthermore, copepodid infectivity and moulting was not affected by the microsporidian infection.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that F. margolisi is transmitted vertically between salmon louse generations and that biological impacts of infection differ depending on the stage of the copepod host. The infection caused significant perturbations of larval transcriptomes and therefore must be considered in future studies in which impacts to host development and environmental factors are assessed. Fitness impacts are probably minor, although the interaction between pesticide exposure and microsporidian infection merits further study.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-017-4040-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Breath-giving cooperation: critical review of origin of mitochondria hypotheses : Major unanswered questions point to the importance of early ecology

The origin of mitochondria is a unique and hard evolutionary problem, embedded within the origin of eukaryotes. The puzzle is challenging due to the egalitarian nature of the transition where lower-level units took over energy metabolism. Contending theories widely disagree on ancestral partners, initial conditions and unfolding of events. There are many open questions but there is no comparative examination of hypotheses. We have specified twelve questions about the observable facts and hidden processes leading to the establishment of the endosymbiont that a valid hypothesis must address. We have objectively compared contending hypotheses under these questions to find the most plausible course of events and to draw insight on missing pieces of the puzzle. Since endosymbiosis borders evolution and ecology, and since a realistic theory has to comply with both domains' constraints, the conclusion is that the most important aspect to clarify is the initial ecological relationship of partners. Metabolic benefits are largely irrelevant at this initial phase, where ecological costs could be more disruptive. There is no single theory capable of answering all questions indicating a severe lack of ecological considerations. A new theory, compliant with recent phylogenomic results, should adhere to these criteria.

REVIEWERS

This article was reviewed by Michael W. Gray, William F. Martin and Purificación López-García.

Hypothesis: Gene-rich plastid genomes in red algae may be an outcome of nuclear genome reduction

Red algae (Rhodophyta) putatively diverged from the eukaryote tree of life >1.2 billion years ago and are the source of plastids in the ecologically important diatoms, haptophytes, and dinoflagellates. In general, red algae contain the largest plastid gene inventory among all such organelles derived from primary, secondary, or additional rounds of endosymbiosis. In contrast, their nuclear gene inventory is reduced when compared to their putative sister lineage, the Viridiplantae, and other photosynthetic lineages. The latter is thought to have resulted from a phase of genome reduction that occurred in the stem lineage of Rhodophyta. A recent comparative analysis of a taxonomically broad collection of red algal and Viridiplantae plastid genomes demonstrates that the red algal ancestor encoded ~1.5× more plastid genes than Viridiplantae. This difference is primarily explained by more extensive endosymbiotic gene transfer (EGT) in the stem lineage of Viridiplantae, when compared to red algae. We postulate that limited EGT in Rhodophytes resulted from the countervailing force of ancient, and likely recurrent, nuclear genome reduction. In other words, the propensity for nuclear gene loss led to the retention of red algal plastid genes that would otherwise have undergone intracellular gene transfer to the nucleus. This hypothesis recognizes the primacy of nuclear genome evolution over that of plastids, which have no inherent control of their gene inventory and can change dramatically (e.g., secondarily non-photosynthetic eukaryotes, dinoflagellates) in response to selection acting on the host lineage.

Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Germination of Nosema bombycis Spores under Extremely Alkaline Conditions

The microsporidian Nosema bombycis is an obligate intracellular pathogen of the silkworm Bombyx mori, causing the epidemic disease Pebrine and extensive economic losses in sericulture. Although N. bombycis forms spores with rigid spore walls that protect against various environmental pressures, ingested spores germinate immediately under the extremely alkaline host gut condition (Lepidoptera gut pH > 10.5), which is a key developmental turning point from dormant state to infected state. However, to date this process remains poorly understood due to the complexity of the animal digestive tract and the lack of genetic tools for microsporidia. Here we show, using an in vitro spore germination model, how the proteome of N. bombycis changes during germination, analyse specific metabolic pathways employed in detail, and validate key functional proteins in vivo in silkworms. By a label-free quantitative proteomics approach that is directly based on high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) data, a total of 1136 proteins were identified with high confidence, with 127 proteins being significantly changed in comparison to non-germinated spores. Among them, structural proteins including polar tube protein 1 and 3 and spore wall protein (SWP) 4 and 30 were found to be significantly down-regulated, but SWP9 significantly up-regulated. Some nucleases like polynucleotide kinase/phosphatase and flap endonucleases 1, together with a panel of hydrolases involved in protein degradation and RNA cleavage were overrepresented too upon germination, which implied that they might play important roles during spore germination. The differentially regulated trends of these genes were validated, respectively, by quantitative RT-PCR and 3 proteins of interest were confirmed by Western blotting analyses in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the pathway analysis showed that abundant up- and down-regulations appear involved in the glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, purine, and pyrimidine metabolism, suggesting preparations of energy generation and substance synthesis for the following invasion and proliferation inside the host. This report, to our knowledge, provides the first proteomic landscape of N. bombycis spores, and also a stepping stone on the way to further study of the unique infection mode of this economically important pathogen and other microsporidia in general.

Metabolic Capacity of Mitochondrion-related Organelles in the Free-living Anaerobic Stramenopile Cantina marsupialis

Functionally and morphologically degenerate mitochondria, so-called mitochondrion-related organelles (MROs), are frequently found in eukaryotes inhabiting hypoxic or anoxic environments. In the last decade, MROs have been discovered from a phylogenetically broad range of eukaryotic lineages and these organelles have been revealed to possess diverse metabolic capacities. In this study, the biochemical characteristics of an MRO in the free-living anaerobic protist Cantina marsupialis, which represents an independent lineage in stramenopiles, were inferred based on RNA-seq data. We found transcripts for proteins known to function in one form of MROs, the hydrogenosome, such as pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase, iron-hydrogenase, acetate:succinate CoA-transferase, and succinyl-CoA synthase, along with transcripts for acetyl-CoA synthetase (ADP-forming). These proteins possess putative mitochondrial targeting signals at their N-termini, suggesting dual ATP generation systems through anaerobic pyruvate metabolism in Cantina MROs. In addition, MROs in Cantina were also shown to share several features with canonical mitochondria, including amino acid metabolism and an "incomplete" tricarboxylic acid cycle. Transcripts for all four subunits of complex II (CII) of the electron transport chain were detected, while there was no evidence for the presence of complexes I, III, IV, or F1Fo ATPase. Cantina MRO biochemistry challenges the categories of mitochondrial organelles recently proposed.

Minimization of extracellular space as a driving force in prokaryote association and the origin of eukaryotes

BACKGROUND

Internalization-based hypotheses of eukaryotic origin require close physical association of host and symbiont. Prior hypotheses of how these associations arose include chance, specific metabolic couplings between partners, and prey-predator/parasite interactions. Since these hypotheses were proposed, it has become apparent that mixed-species, close-association assemblages (biofilms) are widespread and predominant components of prokaryotic ecology. Which forces drove prokaryotes to evolve the ability to form these assemblages are uncertain. Bacteria and archaea have also been found to form membrane-lined interconnections (nanotubes) through which proteins and RNA pass. These observations, combined with the structure of the nuclear envelope and an energetic benefit of close association (see below), lead us to propose a novel hypothesis of the driving force underlying prokaryotic close association and the origin of eukaryotes.

RESULTS

Respiratory proton transport does not alter external pH when external volume is effectively infinite. Close physical association decreases external volume. For small external volumes, proton transport decreases external pH, resulting in each transported proton increasing proton motor force to a greater extent. We calculate here that in biofilms this effect could substantially decrease how many protons need to be transported to achieve a given proton motor force. Based as it is solely on geometry, this energetic benefit would occur for all prokaryotes using proton-based respiration.

CONCLUSIONS

This benefit may be a driving force in biofilm formation. Under this hypothesis a very wide range of prokaryotic species combinations could serve as eukaryotic progenitors. We use this observation and the discovery of prokaryotic nanotubes to propose that eukaryotes arose from physically distinct, functionally specialized (energy factory, protein factory, DNA repository/RNA factory), obligatorily symbiotic prokaryotes in which the protein factory and DNA repository/RNA factory cells were coupled by nanotubes and the protein factory ultimately internalized the other two. This hypothesis naturally explains many aspects of eukaryotic physiology, including the nuclear envelope being a folded single membrane repeatedly pierced by membrane-bound tubules (the nuclear pores), suggests that species analogous or homologous to eukaryotic progenitors are likely unculturable as monocultures, and makes a large number of testable predictions.

REVIEWERS

This article was reviewed by Purificación López-García and Toni Gabaldón.

Symbiosis as a general principle in eukaryotic evolution

Eukaryotes have evolved and diversified in the context of persistent colonization by non-pathogenic microorganisms. Various resident microorganisms provide a metabolic capability absent from the host, resulting in increased ecological amplitude and often evolutionary diversification of the host. Some microorganisms confer primary metabolic pathways, such as photosynthesis and cellulose degradation, and others expand the repertoire of secondary metabolism, including the synthesis of toxins that confer protection against natural enemies. A further route by which microorganisms affect host fitness arises from their modulation of the eukaryotic-signaling networks that regulate growth, development, behavior, and other functions. These effects are not necessarily based on interactions beneficial to the host, but can be a consequence of either eukaryotic utilization of microbial products as cues or host-microbial conflict. By these routes, eukaryote-microbial interactions play an integral role in the function and evolutionary diversification of eukaryotes.

Possible loss of the chloroplast genome in the parasitic flowering plant Rafflesia lagascae (Rafflesiaceae)

Rafflesia is a genus of holoparasitic plants endemic to Southeast Asia that has lost the ability to undertake photosynthesis. With short-read sequencing technology, we assembled a draft sequence of the mitochondrial genome of Rafflesia lagascae Blanco, a species endemic to the Philippine island of Luzon, with ∼350× sequencing depth coverage. Using multiple approaches, however, we were only able to identify small fragments of plastid sequences at low coverage depth (<2×) and could not recover any substantial portion of a chloroplast genome. The gene fragments we identified included photosynthesis and energy production genes (atp, ndh, pet, psa, psb, rbcL), ribosomal RNA genes (rrn16, rrn23), ribosomal protein genes (rps7, rps11, rps16), transfer RNA genes, as well as matK, accD, ycf2, and multiple nongenic regions from the inverted repeats. None of the identified plastid gene sequences had intact reading frames. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that ∼33% of these remnant plastid genes may have been horizontally transferred from the host plant genus Tetrastigma with the rest having ambiguous phylogenetic positions (<50% bootstrap support), except for psaB that was strongly allied with the plastid homolog in Nicotiana. Our inability to identify substantial plastid genome sequences from R. lagascae using multiple approaches—despite success in identifying and developing a draft assembly of the much larger mitochondrial genome—suggests that the parasitic plant genus Rafflesia may be the first plant group for which there is no recognizable plastid genome, or if present is found in cryptic form at very low levels.

An archaeal origin of eukaryotes supports only two primary domains of life

The discovery of the Archaea and the proposal of the three-domains 'universal' tree, based on ribosomal RNA and core genes mainly involved in protein translation, catalysed new ideas for cellular evolution and eukaryotic origins. However, accumulating evidence suggests that the three-domains tree may be incorrect: evolutionary trees made using newer methods place eukaryotic core genes within the Archaea, supporting hypotheses in which an archaeon participated in eukaryotic origins by founding the host lineage for the mitochondrial endosymbiont. These results provide support for only two primary domains of life--Archaea and Bacteria--because eukaryotes arose through partnership between them.

Strategies for maximizing ATP supply in the microsporidian Encephalitozoon cuniculi: direct binding of mitochondria to the parasitophorous vacuole and clustering of the mitochondrial porin VDAC

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites with extremely reduced genomes and a dependence on host-derived ATP. The microsporidium Encephalitozoon cuniculi proliferates within a membranous vacuole and we investigated how the ATP supply is optimized at the vacuole-host interface. Using spatial EM quantification (stereology), we found a single layer of mitochondria coating substantial proportions of the parasitophorous vacuole. Mitochondrial binding occurred preferentially over the vegetative 'meront' stages of the parasite, which bulged into the cytoplasm, thereby increasing the membrane surface available for mitochondrial interaction. In a broken cell system mitochondrial binding was maintained and was typified by electron dense structures (< 10 nm long) bridging between outer mitochondrial and vacuole membranes. In broken cells mitochondrial binding was sensitive to a range of protease treatments. The function of directly bound mitochondria, as measured by the membrane potential sensitive dye JC-1, was indistinguishable from other mitochondria in the cell although there was a generalized depression of the membrane potential in infected cells. Finally, quantitative immuno-EM revealed that the ATP-delivering mitochondrial porin, VDAC, was concentrated atthe mitochondria-vacuole interaction site. Thus E. cuniculi appears to maximize ATP supply by direct binding of mitochondria to the parasitophorous vacuole bringing this organelle within 0.020 microns of the growing vegetative form of the parasite. ATP-delivery is further enhanced by clustering of ATP transporting porins in those regions of the outer mitochondrial membrane lying closest to the parasite.

Radical reactions of thiamin pyrophosphate in 2-oxoacid oxidoreductases

Thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) is essential in carbohydrate metabolism in all forms of life. TPP-dependent decarboxylation reactions of 2-oxo-acid substrates result in enamine adducts between the thiazolium moiety of the coenzyme and decarboxylated substrate. These central enamine intermediates experience different fates from protonation in pyruvate decarboxylase to oxidation by the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complexes, the pyruvate oxidases, and 2-oxoacid oxidoreductases. Virtually all of the TPP-dependent enzymes, including pyruvate decarboxylase, can be assayed by 1-electron redox reactions linked to ferricyanide. Oxidation of the enamines is thought to occur via a 2-electron process in the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complexes, wherein acyl group transfer is associated with reduction of the disulfide of the lipoamide moiety. However, discrete 1-electron steps occur in the oxidoreductases, where one or more [4Fe-4S] clusters mediate the electron transfer reactions to external electron acceptors. These radical intermediates can be detected in the absence of the acyl-group acceptor, coenzyme A (CoASH). The π-electron system of the thiazolium ring stabilizes the radical. The extensively delocalized character of the radical is evidenced by quantitative analysis of nuclear hyperfine splitting tensors as detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and by electronic structure calculations. The second electron transfer step is markedly accelerated by the presence of CoASH. While details of the second electron transfer step and its facilitation by CoASH remain elusive, expected redox properties of potential intermediates limit possible scenarios. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Radical SAM enzymes and Radical Enzymology.

The search for the missing link: a relic plastid in Perkinsus?

Perkinsus marinus (Phylum Perkinsozoa) is a protozoan parasite that has devastated natural and farmed oyster populations in the USA, significantly affecting the shellfish industry and the estuarine environment. The other two genera in the phylum, Parvilucifera and Rastrimonas, are parasites of microeukaryotes. The Perkinsozoa occupies a key position at the base of the dinoflagellate branch, close to its divergence from the Apicomplexa, a clade that includes parasitic protista, many harbouring a relic plastid. Thus, as a taxon that has also evolved toward parasitism, the Perkinsozoa has attracted the attention of biologists interested in the evolution of this organelle, both in its ultrastructure and the conservation, loss or transfer of its genes. A review of the recent literature reveals mounting evidence in support of the presence of a relic plastid in P. marinus, including the presence of multimembrane structures, characteristic metabolic pathways and proteins with a bipartite N-terminal extension. Further, these findings raise intriguing questions regarding the potential functions and unique adaptation of the putative plastid and/or plastid genes in the Perkinsozoa. In this review we analyse the above-mentioned evidence and evaluate the potential future directions and expected benefits of addressing such questions. Given the rapidly expanding molecular/genetic resources and methodological toolbox for Perkinsus spp., these organisms should complement the currently established models for investigating plastid evolution within the Chromalveolata.

Anaerobic fungi: Neocallimastigomycota

This contribution is based on the six oral presentations given at the Special Interest Group session on anaerobic fungi held during IMC9. These fungi, recently elevated to the status of a separate phylum (Neocallimastigomycota), distinct from the chytrid fungi, possess several unique traits that make their study both fascinating yet challenging to mycologists. There are several genome sequencing programs underway in the US but these are hampered by the highly AT-rich genomes. Next-generation sequencing has also allowed more detailed investigation of the ecology and diversity of these fungi, and it is apparent that several new taxa beyond the six genera already named exist within the digestive tracts of mammalian herbivores, with others potentially inhabiting other anaerobic niches. By increased collaboration between the various labs studying these fungi, it is hoped to develop a stable taxonomic backbone for these fungi and to facilitate exchange of both cultures and genetic data.

Sawyeria marylandensis (Heterolobosea) has a hydrogenosome with novel metabolic properties

Protists that live under low-oxygen conditions often lack conventional mitochondria and instead possess mitochondrion-related organelles (MROs) with distinct biochemical functions. Studies of mostly parasitic organisms have suggested that these organelles could be classified into two general types: hydrogenosomes and mitosomes. Hydrogenosomes, found in parabasalids, anaerobic chytrid fungi, and ciliates, metabolize pyruvate anaerobically to generate ATP, acetate, CO(2), and hydrogen gas, employing enzymes not typically associated with mitochondria. Mitosomes that have been studied have no apparent role in energy metabolism. Recent investigations of free-living anaerobic protists have revealed a diversity of MROs with a wider array of metabolic properties that defy a simple functional classification. Here we describe an expressed sequence tag (EST) survey and ultrastructural investigation of the anaerobic heteroloboseid amoeba Sawyeria marylandensis aimed at understanding the properties of its MROs. This organism expresses typical anaerobic energy metabolic enzymes, such as pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase, [FeFe]-hydrogenase, and associated hydrogenase maturases with apparent organelle-targeting peptides, indicating that its MRO likely functions as a hydrogenosome. We also identified 38 genes encoding canonical mitochondrial proteins in S. marylandensis, many of which possess putative targeting peptides and are phylogenetically related to putative mitochondrial proteins of its heteroloboseid relative Naegleria gruberi. Several of these proteins, such as a branched-chain alpha keto acid dehydrogenase, likely function in pathways that have not been previously associated with the well-studied hydrogenosomes of parabasalids. Finally, morphological reconstructions based on transmission electron microscopy indicate that the S. marylandensis MROs form novel cup-like structures within the cells. Overall, these data suggest that Sawyeria marylandensis possesses a hydrogenosome of mitochondrial origin with a novel combination of biochemical and structural properties.

Eukaryotic genes of archaebacterial origin are more important than the more numerous eubacterial genes, irrespective of function

The traditional tree of life shows eukaryotes as a distinct lineage of living things, but many studies have suggested that the first eukaryotic cells were chimeric, descended from both Eubacteria (through the mitochondrion) and Archaebacteria. Eukaryote nuclei thus contain genes of both eubacterial and archaebacterial origins, and these genes have different functions within eukaryotic cells. Here we report that archaebacterium-derived genes are significantly more likely to be essential to yeast viability, are more highly expressed, and are significantly more highly connected and more central in the yeast protein interaction network. These findings hold irrespective of whether the genes have an informational or operational function, so that many features of eukaryotic genes with prokaryotic homologs can be explained by their origin, rather than their function. Taken together, our results show that genes of archaebacterial origin are in some senses more important to yeast metabolism than genes of eubacterial origin. This importance reflects these genes' origin as the ancestral nuclear component of the eukaryotic genome.

A linear molecule with two large inverted repeats: the mitochondrial genome of the stramenopile Proteromonas lacertae

Mitochondrial evolution has given rise to a complex array of organelles, ranging from classical aerobic mitochondria to mitochondrial remnants known as hydrogenosomes and mitosomes. The latter are found in anaerobic eukaryotes, and these highly derived organelles often retain only scant evidence of their mitochondrial origins. Intermediate evolutionary stages have also been reported as facultatively or even strictly anaerobic mitochondria, and hydrogenosomes that still retain some mitochondrial features. However, the diversity among these organelles with transitional features remains rather unclear and barely studied. Here, we report the sequence, structure, and gene content of the mitochondrial DNA of the anaerobic stramenopile Proteromonas lacertae. It has a linear genome with a unique central region flanked by two identical large inverted repeats containing numerous genes and “telomeres” with short inverted repeats. Comparison with the organelle genome of the strictly anaerobic human parasite Blastocystis reveals that, despite the close similarity of the sequences, features such as the genome structure display striking differences. It remains unclear whether the virtually identical gene repertoires are the result of convergence or descent.

The reduced genome of the parasitic microsporidian Enterocytozoon bieneusi lacks genes for core carbon metabolism

Reduction of various biological processes is a hallmark of the parasitic lifestyle. Generally, the more intimate the association between parasites and hosts the stronger the parasite relies on its host's physiology for survival and reproduction. However, some systems have been held to be indispensable, for example, the core pathways of carbon metabolism that produce energy from sugars. Even the most hardened anaerobes that lack oxidative phosphorylation and the tricarboxylic acid cycle have retained glycolysis and some downstream means to generate ATP. Here we describe the deep-coverage genome resequencing of the pathogenic microsporidiian, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, which shows that this parasite has crossed this line and abandoned complete pathways for the most basic carbon metabolism. Comparing two genome sequence surveys of E. bieneusi to genomic data from four other microsporidia reveals a normal complement of 353 genes representing 30 functional pathways in E. bieneusi, except that only 2 out of 21 genes collectively involved in glycolysis, pentose phosphate, and trehalose metabolism are present. Similarly, no genes encoding proteins involved in the processing of spliceosomal introns were found. Altogether, E. bieneusi appears to have no fully functional pathway to generate ATP from glucose. Therefore, this intracellular parasite relies on transporters to import ATP from its host.

The endosymbiotic origin, diversification and fate of plastids

Plastids and mitochondria each arose from a single endosymbiotic event and share many similarities in how they were reduced and integrated with their host. However, the subsequent evolution of the two organelles could hardly be more different: mitochondria are a stable fixture of eukaryotic cells that are neither lost nor shuffled between lineages, whereas plastid evolution has been a complex mix of movement, loss and replacement. Molecular data from the past decade have substantially untangled this complex history, and we now know that plastids are derived from a single endosymbiotic event in the ancestor of glaucophytes, red algae and green algae (including plants). The plastids of both red algae and green algae were subsequently transferred to other lineages by secondary endosymbiosis. Green algal plastids were taken up by euglenids and chlorarachniophytes, as well as one small group of dinoflagellates. Red algae appear to have been taken up only once, giving rise to a diverse group called chromalveolates. Additional layers of complexity come from plastid loss, which has happened at least once and probably many times, and replacement. Plastid loss is difficult to prove, and cryptic, non-photosynthetic plastids are being found in many non-photosynthetic lineages. In other cases, photosynthetic lineages are now understood to have evolved from ancestors with a plastid of different origin, so an ancestral plastid has been replaced with a new one. Such replacement has taken place in several dinoflagellates (by tertiary endosymbiosis with other chromalveolates or serial secondary endosymbiosis with a green alga), and apparently also in two rhizarian lineages: chlorarachniophytes and Paulinella (which appear to have evolved from chromalveolate ancestors). The many twists and turns of plastid evolution each represent major evolutionary transitions, and each offers a glimpse into how genomes evolve and how cells integrate through gene transfers and protein trafficking.

Evolution of macromolecular import pathways in mitochondria, hydrogenosomes and mitosomes

All eukaryotes require mitochondria for survival and growth. The origin of mitochondria can be traced down to a single endosymbiotic event between two probably prokaryotic organisms. Subsequent evolution has left mitochondria a collection of heterogeneous organelle variants. Most of these variants have retained their own genome and translation system. In hydrogenosomes and mitosomes, however, the entire genome was lost. All types of mitochondria import most of their proteome from the cytosol, irrespective of whether they have a genome or not. Moreover, in most eukaryotes, a variable number of tRNAs that are required for mitochondrial translation are also imported. Thus, import of macromolecules, both proteins and tRNA, is essential for mitochondrial biogenesis. Here, we review what is known about the evolutionary history of the two processes using a recently revised eukaryotic phylogeny as a framework. We discuss how the processes of protein import and tRNA import relate to each other in an evolutionary context.

Getting a better picture of microbial evolution en route to a network of genomes

Most current thinking about evolution is couched in the concept of trees. The notion of a tree with recursively bifurcating branches representing recurrent divergence events is a plausible metaphor to describe the evolution of multicellular organisms like vertebrates or land plants. But if we try to force the tree metaphor onto the whole of the evolutionary process, things go badly awry, because the more closely we inspect microbial genomes through the looking glass of gene and genome sequence comparisons, the smaller the amount of the data that fits the concept of a bifurcating tree becomes. That is mainly because among microbes, endosymbiosis and lateral gene transfer are important, two mechanisms of natural variation that differ from the kind of natural variation that Darwin had in mind. For such reasons, when it comes to discussing the relationships among all living things, that is, including the microbes and all of their genes rather than just one or a select few, many biologists are now beginning to talk about networks rather than trees in the context of evolutionary relationships among microbial chromosomes. But talk is not enough. If we were to actually construct networks instead of trees to describe the evolutionary process, what would they look like? Here we consider endosymbiosis and an example of a network of genomes involving 181 sequenced prokaryotes and how that squares off with some ideas about early cell evolution.

Dual targeting of a tRNAAsp requires two different aspartyl-tRNA synthetases in Trypanosoma brucei

The mitochondrion of the parasitic protozoon Trypanosoma brucei does not encode any tRNAs. This deficiency is compensated for by partial import of nearly all of its cytosolic tRNAs. Most trypanosomal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are encoded by single copy genes, suggesting the use of the same enzyme in the cytosol and in the mitochondrion. However, the T. brucei genome encodes two distinct genes for eukaryotic aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (AspRS), although the cell has a single tRNAAsp isoacceptor only. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the two T. brucei AspRSs evolved from a duplication early in kinetoplastid evolution and also revealed that eight other major duplications of AspRS occurred in the eukaryotic domain. RNA interference analysis established that both Tb-AspRS1 and Tb-AspRS2 are essential for growth and required for cytosolic and mitochondrial Asp-tRNAAsp formation, respectively. In vitro charging assays demonstrated that the mitochondrial Tb-AspRS2 aminoacylates both cytosolic and mitochondrial tRNAAsp, whereas the cytosolic Tb-AspRS1 selectively recognizes cytosolic but not mitochondrial tRNAAsp. This indicates that cytosolic and mitochondrial tRNAAsp, although derived from the same nuclear gene, are physically different, most likely due to a mitochondria-specific nucleotide modification. Mitochondrial Tb-AspRS2 defines a novel group of eukaryotic AspRSs with an expanded substrate specificity that are restricted to trypanosomatids and therefore may be exploited as a novel drug target.

The vacuolar ATPase from Entamoeba histolytica: molecular cloning of the gene encoding for the B subunit and subcellular localization of the protein

Background

Entamoeba histolytica is a professional phagocytic cell where the vacuolar ATPase plays a key role. This enzyme is a multisubunit complex that regulates pH in many subcellular compartments, even in those that are not measurably acidic. It participates in a wide variety of cellular processes such as endocytosis, intracellular transport and membrane fusion. The presence of a vacuolar type H⁺-ATPase in E. histolytica trophozoites has been inferred previously from inhibition assays of its activity, the isolation of the Ehvma1 and Ehvma3 genes, and by proteomic analysis of purified phagosomes.

Results

We report the isolation and characterization of the Ehvma2 gene, which encodes for the subunit B of the vacuolar ATPase. This polypeptide is a 55.3 kDa highly conserved protein with 34 to 80% identity to orthologous proteins from other species. Particularly, in silico studies showed that EhV-ATPase subunit B displays 78% identity and 90% similarity to its Dictyostelium ortholog. A 462 bp DNA fragment of the Ehvma2 gene was expressed in bacteria and recombinant polypeptide was used to raise mouse polyclonal antibodies. EhV-ATPase subunit B antibodies detected a 55 kDa band in whole cell extracts and in an enriched fraction of DNA-containing organelles named EhkOs. The V-ATPase subunit B was located by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy in many vesicles, in phagosomes, plasma membrane and in EhkOs. We also identified the genes encoding for the majority of the V-ATPase subunits in the E. histolytica genome, and proposed a putative model for this proton pump.

Conclusion

We have isolated the Ehvma2 gene which encodes for the V-ATPase subunit B from the E. histolytica clone A. This gene has a 154 bp intron and encodes for a highly conserved polypeptide. Specific antibodies localized EhV-ATPase subunit B in many vesicles, phagosomes, plasma membrane and in EhkOs. Most of the orthologous genes encoding for the EhV-ATPase subunits were found in the E. histolytica genome, indicating the conserved nature of V-ATPase in this parasite.

Analysis of two genomes from the mitochondrion-like organelle of the intestinal parasite Blastocystis: complete sequences, gene content, and genome organization

Acquisition of mitochondria by the ancestor of all living eukaryotes represented a crucial milestone in the evolution of the eukaryotic cell. Nevertheless, a number of anaerobic unicellular eukaryotes have secondarily discarded certain mitochondrial features, leading to modified organelles such as hydrogenosomes and mitosomes via degenerative evolution. These mitochondrion-derived organelles have lost many of the typical characteristics of aerobic mitochondria, including certain metabolic pathways, morphological traits, and, in most cases, the organellar genome. So far, the evolutionary pathway leading from aerobic mitochondria to anaerobic degenerate organelles has remained unclear due to the lack of examples representing intermediate stages. The human parasitic stramenopile Blastocystis is a rare example of an anaerobic eukaryote with organelles that have retained some mitochondrial characteristics, including a genome, whereas they lack others, such as cytochromes. Here we report the sequence and comparative analysis of the organellar genome from two different Blastocystis isolates as well as a comparison to other genomes from stramenopile mitochondria. Analysis of the characteristics displayed by the unique Blastocystis organelle genome gives us an insight into the initial evolutionary steps that may have led from mitochondria to hydrogenosomes and mitosomes.

Energy metabolism among eukaryotic anaerobes in light of Proterozoic ocean chemistry

Recent years have witnessed major upheavals in views about early eukaryotic evolution. One very significant finding was that mitochondria, including hydrogenosomes and the newly discovered mitosomes, are just as ubiquitous and defining among eukaryotes as the nucleus itself. A second important advance concerns the readjustment, still in progress, about phylogenetic relationships among eukaryotic groups and the roughly six new eukaryotic supergroups that are currently at the focus of much attention. From the standpoint of energy metabolism (the biochemical means through which eukaryotes gain their ATP, thereby enabling any and all evolution of other traits), understanding of mitochondria among eukaryotic anaerobes has improved. The mainstream formulations of endosymbiotic theory did not predict the ubiquity of mitochondria among anaerobic eukaryotes, while an alternative hypothesis that specifically addressed the evolutionary origin of energy metabolism among eukaryotic anaerobes did. Those developments in biology have been paralleled by a similar upheaval in the Earth sciences regarding views about the prevalence of oxygen in the oceans during the Proterozoic (the time from ca 2.5 to 0.6 Ga ago). The new model of Proterozoic ocean chemistry indicates that the oceans were anoxic and sulphidic during most of the Proterozoic. Its proponents suggest the underlying geochemical mechanism to entail the weathering of continental sulphides by atmospheric oxygen to sulphate, which was carried into the oceans as sulphate, fueling marine sulphate reducers (anaerobic, hydrogen sulphide-producing prokaryotes) on a global scale. Taken together, these two mutually compatible developments in biology and geology underscore the evolutionary significance of oxygen-independent ATP-generating pathways in mitochondria, including those of various metazoan groups, as a watermark of the environments within which eukaryotes arose and diversified into their major lineages.

Novel mitochondrion-related organelles in the anaerobic amoeba Mastigamoeba balamuthi

Unicellular eukaryotes that lack mitochondria typically contain related organelles such as hydrogenosomes or mitosomes. To characterize the evolutionary diversity of these organelles, we conducted an expressed sequence tag (EST) survey on the free-living amoeba Mastigamoeba balamuthi, a relative of the human parasite Entamoeba histolytica. From 19 182 ESTs, we identified 21 putative mitochondrial proteins implicated in protein import, amino acid interconversion and carbohydrate metabolism, two components of the iron-sulphur cluster (Fe-S) assembly apparatus as well as two enzymes characteristic of hydrogenosomes. By immunofluorescence microscopy and subcellular fractionation, we show that mitochondrial chaperonin 60 is targeted to small abundant organelles within Mastigamoeba. In transmission electron micrographs, we identified double-membraned compartments that likely correspond to these mitochondrion-derived organelles, The predicted organellar proteome of the Mastigamoeba organelle indicates a unique spectrum of functions that collectively have never been observed in mitochondrion-related organelles. However, like Entamoeba, the Fe-S cluster assembly proteins in Mastigamoeba were acquired by lateral gene transfer from epsilon-proteobacteria and do not possess obvious organellar targeting peptides. These data indicate that the loss of classical aerobic mitochondrial functions and acquisition of anaerobic enzymes and Fe-S cluster assembly proteins occurred in a free-living member of the eukaryote super-kingdom Amoebozoa.

A mitosome purification protocol based on percoll density gradients and its use in validating the mitosomal nature of Entamoeba histolytica mitochondrial Hsp70

Mitochondria are indispensable for aerobic respiration, but many microbial eukaryotes have lost this function through reductive evolution. Their modified mitochondria are known as hydrogenosomes or mitosomes depending on whether or not they produce molecular hydrogen. The intestinal parasite Entamoeba histolytica contains mitosomes whose role in cellular metabolism is unclear. Only three proteins have been shown thus far to reside in these organelles: the molecular chaperones Hsp10 and Hsp60 and an unusual ADP/ATP carrier. Here we describe the isolation of E. histolytica mitosomes by cellular fractionation and density gradient centrifugation and show that the mitochondrial-type chaperone Hsp70 is also housed in Entamoeba mitosomes.

Localization and nucleotide specificity of Blastocystis succinyl-CoA synthetase

The anaerobic lifestyle of the intestinal parasite Blastocystis raises questions about the biochemistry and function of its mitochondria-like organelles. We have characterized the Blastocystis succinyl-CoA synthetase (SCS), a tricarboxylic acid cycle enzyme that conserves energy by substrate-level phosphorylation. We show that SCS localizes to the enigmatic Blastocystis organelles, indicating that these organelles might play a similar role in energy metabolism as classic mitochondria. Although analysis of residues inside the nucleotide-binding site suggests that Blastocystis SCS is GTP-specific, we demonstrate that it is ATP-specific. Homology modelling, followed by flexible docking and molecular dynamics simulations, indicates that while both ATP and GTP fit into the Blastocystis SCS active site, GTP is destabilized by electrostatic dipole interactions with Lys 42 and Lys 110, the side-chains of which lie outside the nucleotide-binding cavity. It has been proposed that residues in direct contact with the substrate determine nucleotide specificity in SCS. However, our results indicate that, in Blastocystis, an electrostatic gatekeeper controls which ligands can enter the binding site.

Organelles in Blastocystis that blur the distinction between mitochondria and hydrogenosomes

Blastocystis is a unicellular stramenopile of controversial pathogenicity in humans. Although it is a strict anaerobe, Blastocystis has mitochondrion-like organelles with cristae, a transmembrane potential and DNA. An apparent lack of several typical mitochondrial pathways has led some to suggest that these organelles might be hydrogenosomes, anaerobic organelles related to mitochondria. We generated 12,767 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from Blastocystis and identified 115 clusters that encode putative mitochondrial and hydrogenosomal proteins. Among these is the canonical hydrogenosomal protein iron-only [FeFe] hydrogenase that we show localizes to the organelles. The organelles also have mitochondrial characteristics, including pathways for amino acid metabolism, iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis, and an incomplete tricarboxylic acid cycle as well as a mitochondrial genome. Although complexes I and II of the electron transport chain (ETC) are present, we found no evidence for complexes III and IV or F1Fo ATPases. The Blastocystis organelles have metabolic properties of aerobic and anaerobic mitochondria and of hydrogenosomes. They are convergently similar to organelles recently described in the unrelated ciliate Nyctotherus ovalis. These findings blur the boundaries between mitochondria, hydrogenosomes, and mitosomes, as currently defined, underscoring the disparate selective forces that shape these organelles in eukaryotes.

Phylogeny of endocytic components yields insight into the process of nonendosymbiotic organelle evolution

The process by which some eukaryotic organelles, for example the endomembrane system, evolved without endosymbiotic input remains poorly understood. This problem largely arises because many major cellular systems predate the last common eukaryotic ancestor (LCEA) and thus do not provide examples of organellogenesis in progress. A model is emerging whereby gene duplication and divergence of multiple "specificity-" or "identity-" encoding proteins for the various endomembranous organelles produced the diversity of nonendosymbiotically derived cellular compartments present in modern eukaryotes. To address this possibility, we analyzed three molecular components of the endocytic membrane-trafficking machinery. Phylogenetic analyses of the endocytic syntaxins, Rab 5, and the beta-adaptins each reveal a pattern of ancestral, undifferentiated endocytic homologues in the LCEA. Subsequently, these undifferentiated progenitors independently duplicated in widely divergent lineages, convergently producing components with similar endocytic roles, e.g., beta1 and beta2-adaptin. In contrast, beta3, beta4, and all other adaptin complex subunits, as well as paralogues of the syntaxins and Rabs specific for the other membrane-trafficking organelles, all evolved before the LCEA. Thus, the process giving rise to the differentiated organelles of the endocytic system appears to have been interrupted by the major speciation event that produced the extant eukaryotic lineages. These results suggest that although many endocytic components evolved before the LCEA, other major features evolved independently and convergently after diversification into the primary eukaryotic supergroups. This finding provides an example of a basic cellular system that was simpler in the LCEA than in many extant eukaryotes and yields insight into nonendosymbiotic organelle evolution.

Implications of the new eukaryotic systematics for parasitologists

An accurate understanding of evolutionary relationships is central in biology. For parasitologists, understanding the relationships among eukaryotic organisms allows the prediction of virulence mechanisms, reconstruction of metabolic pathways, identification of potential drug targets, elucidation of parasite-specific cellular processes and understanding of interactions with the host or vector. Here we consider the impact of major recent revisions of eukaryotic systematics and taxonomy on parasitology. The previous, ladder-like model placed some protists as early diverging, with the remaining eukaryotes "progressing" towards a "crown radiation" of animals, plants, Fungi and some additional protistan lineages. This model has been robustly disproven. The new model is based on vastly increased amounts of molecular sequence data, integration with morphological information and the rigorous application of phylogenetic methods to those data. It now divides eukaryotes into six major supergroups; the relationships between those groups and the order of branching remain unknown. This new eukaryotic phylogeny emphasizes that organisms including Giardia, Trypanosoma and Trichomonas are not primitive, but instead highly evolved and specialised for their specific environments. The wealth of newly available comparative genomic data has also allowed the reconstruction of ancient suites of characteristics and mapping of character evolution in diverse parasites. For example, the last common eukaryotic ancestor was apparently complex, suggesting that lineage-specific adaptations and secondary losses have been important in the evolution of protistan parasites. Referring to the best evidence-based models for eukaryotic evolution will allow parasitologists to make more accurate and reliable inferences about pathogens that cause significant morbidity and mortality.

Mitochondrial genome of a tertiary endosymbiont retains genes for electron transport proteins

Mitochondria and plastids originated through endosymbiosis, and subsequently became reduced and integrated with the host in similar ways. Plastids spread between lineages through further secondary or even tertiary endosymbioses, but mitochondria appear to have originated once and have not spread between lineages. Mitochondria are also generally lost in secondary and tertiary endosymbionts, with the single exception of the diatom tertiary endosymbiont of dinoflagellates like Kryptoperidinium foliaceum, where both host and endosymbiont are reported to contain mitochondria. Here we describe the first mitochondrial genes from this system: cytochrome c oxidase 1 (cox1), cytochrome oxidase 3 (cox3), and cytochrome b (cob). Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that all characterized genes were derived from the pennate diatom endosymbiont, and not the host. We also demonstrated that all three genes are expressed, that cox1 contains spliced group II introns, and that cob and cox3 form an operon, all like their diatom relatives. The endosymbiont mitochondria not only retain a genome, but also express their genes, and are therefore likely involved in electron transport. Ultrastructural examination confirmed the endosymbiont mitochondria retain normal tubular cristae. Overall, these data suggest the endosymbiont mitochondria have not reduced at the genomic or functional level.

Evolution of the eukaryotic membrane-trafficking system: origin, tempo and mode

The emergence of an endomembrane system was a crucial stage in the prokaryote-to-eukaryote evolutionary transition. Recent genomic and molecular evolutionary analyses have provided insight into how this critical system arrived at its modern configuration. The apparent relative absence of prokaryotic antecedents for the endomembrane machinery contrasts with the situation for mitochondria, plastids and the nucleus. Overall, the evidence suggests an autogenous origin for the eukaryotic membrane-trafficking machinery. The emerging picture is that early eukaryotic ancestors had a complex endomembrane system, which implies that this cellular system evolved relatively rapidly after the proto-eukaryote diverged away from the other prokaryotic lines. Many of the components of the trafficking system are the result of gene duplications that have produced proteins that have similar functions but differ in their subcellular location. A proto-eukaryote possessing a very simple trafficking system could thus have evolved to near modern complexity in the last common eukaryotic ancestor (LCEA) via paralogous gene family expansion of the proteins encoding organelle identity. The descendents of this common ancestor have undergone further modification of the trafficking machinery; unicellular simplicity and multicellular complexity are the prevailing trend, but there are some remarkable counter-examples.

The intracellular cyanobacteria of Paulinella chromatophora: endosymbionts or organelles?

Endosymbiotic relationships are common across the tree of life and have had profound impacts on cellular evolution and diversity. Recent molecular investigations of the amoeba Paulinella chromatophora have raised a timely and important question: should obligatory intracellular cyanobacteria in Paulinella be considered new organelles, or do plastids and mitochondria hold a unique stature in the history of endosymbiotic events? We argue that drawing a sharp distinction between these two organelles and all other endosymbionts is not supported by accumulating data, neither is it a productive framework for investigating organelle evolution.