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Umamaheswaran R, Dutta S. Preservation of proteins in the geosphere. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:858-865. [PMID: 38472431 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02366-z] [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: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Deep-time protein preservation has attracted increasing interest and rapid research activity within the palaeobiological community in recent years, but there are several different viewpoints without a cohesive framework for the interpretation of these proteins. Therefore, despite this activity, crucial gaps exist in the understanding of how proteins are preserved in the geological record and we believe it is vital to arrive at a synthesis of the various taphonomic pathways in order to proceed forward with their elucidation. Here we take a critical look at the state of knowledge regarding deep-time protein preservation and argue for the necessity of a more nuanced approach to understanding the molecular taphonomy of proteins through the lens of diagenetic pathways. We also propound an initial framework with which to comprehend the chemical changes undergone by proteins via the concept of 'proteagen'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raman Umamaheswaran
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India.
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
| | - Suryendu Dutta
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India.
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2
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Anderson LA. Biomolecular histology as a novel proxy for ancient DNA and protein sequence preservation. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9518. [PMCID: PMC9743065 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9518] [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: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Researchers' ability to accurately screen fossil and subfossil specimens for preservation of DNA and protein sequences remains limited. Thermal exposure and geologic age are usable proxies for sequence preservation on a broad scale but are of nominal use for specimens of similar depositional environments. Cell and tissue biomolecular histology is thus proposed as a novel proxy for determining sequence preservation potential of ancient specimens with improved accuracy. Biomolecular histology as a proxy is hypothesized to elucidate why fossils/subfossils of some depositional environments preserve sequences while others do not and to facilitate selection of ancient specimens for use in molecular studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Landon A. Anderson
- Department of BiologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNorth CarolinaUSA
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3
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Abstract
Paleoproteomics, the study of ancient proteins, is a rapidly growing field at the intersection of molecular biology, paleontology, archaeology, paleoecology, and history. Paleoproteomics research leverages the longevity and diversity of proteins to explore fundamental questions about the past. While its origins predate the characterization of DNA, it was only with the advent of soft ionization mass spectrometry that the study of ancient proteins became truly feasible. Technological gains over the past 20 years have allowed increasing opportunities to better understand preservation, degradation, and recovery of the rich bioarchive of ancient proteins found in the archaeological and paleontological records. Growing from a handful of studies in the 1990s on individual highly abundant ancient proteins, paleoproteomics today is an expanding field with diverse applications ranging from the taxonomic identification of highly fragmented bones and shells and the phylogenetic resolution of extinct species to the exploration of past cuisines from dental calculus and pottery food crusts and the characterization of past diseases. More broadly, these studies have opened new doors in understanding past human-animal interactions, the reconstruction of past environments and environmental changes, the expansion of the hominin fossil record through large scale screening of nondiagnostic bone fragments, and the phylogenetic resolution of the vertebrate fossil record. Even with these advances, much of the ancient proteomic record still remains unexplored. Here we provide an overview of the history of the field, a summary of the major methods and applications currently in use, and a critical evaluation of current challenges. We conclude by looking to the future, for which innovative solutions and emerging technology will play an important role in enabling us to access the still unexplored "dark" proteome, allowing for a fuller understanding of the role ancient proteins can play in the interpretation of the past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Warinner
- Department
of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Kristine Korzow Richter
- Department
of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Matthew J. Collins
- Department
of Archaeology, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 3DZ, United Kingdom
- Section
for Evolutionary Genomics, Globe Institute,
University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 1350, Denmark
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4
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Taphonomic and Diagenetic Pathways to Protein Preservation, Part II: The Case of Brachylophosaurus canadensis Specimen MOR 2598. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081177. [PMID: 36009804 PMCID: PMC9404959 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Reports of the recovery of proteins and other molecules from fossils have become so common over the last two decades that some paleontologists now focus almost entirely on studying how biologic molecules can persist in fossils. In this study, we explored the fossilization history of a specimen of the hadrosaurid dinosaur Brachylophosaurus which was previously shown to preserve original cells, tissues, and structural proteins. Trace element analyses of the tibia of this specimen revealed that after its bones were buried in a brackish estuarine channel, they fossilized under wet conditions which shifted in redox state multiple times. The successful recovery of proteins from this specimen, despite this complex history of chemical alterations, shows that the processes which bind and stabilize biologic molecules shortly after death provide them remarkable physical and chemical resiliency. By uniting our results with those of similar studies on other dinosaur fossils known to also preserve original proteins, we also conclude that exposure to oxidizing conditions in the initial ~48 h postmortem likely promotes molecular stabilization reactions, and the retention of early-diagenetic trace element signatures may be a useful proxy for molecular recovery potential. Abstract Recent recoveries of peptide sequences from two Cretaceous dinosaur bones require paleontologists to rethink traditional notions about how fossilization occurs. As part of this shifting paradigm, several research groups have recently begun attempting to characterize biomolecular decay and stabilization pathways in diverse paleoenvironmental and diagenetic settings. To advance these efforts, we assessed the taphonomic and geochemical history of Brachylophosaurus canadensis specimen MOR 2598, the left femur of which was previously found to retain endogenous cells, tissues, and structural proteins. Combined stratigraphic and trace element data show that after brief fluvial transport, this articulated hind limb was buried in a sandy, likely-brackish, estuarine channel. During early diagenesis, percolating groundwaters stagnated within the bones, forming reducing internal microenvironments. Recent exposure and weathering also caused the surficial leaching of trace elements from the specimen. Despite these shifting redox regimes, proteins within the bones were able to survive through diagenesis, attesting to their remarkable resiliency over geologic time. Synthesizing our findings with other recent studies reveals that oxidizing conditions in the initial ~48 h postmortem likely promote molecular stabilization reactions and that the retention of early-diagenetic trace element signatures may be a useful proxy for molecular recovery potential.
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5
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Soft Tissue and Biomolecular Preservation in Vertebrate Fossils from Glauconitic, Shallow Marine Sediments of the Hornerstown Formation, Edelman Fossil Park, New Jersey. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081161. [PMID: 36009787 PMCID: PMC9405258 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Endogenous biomolecules and soft tissues are known to persist in the fossil record. To date, these discoveries derive from a limited number of preservational environments, (e.g., fluvial channels and floodplains), and fossils from less common depositional environments have been largely unexplored. We conducted paleomolecular analyses of shallow marine vertebrate fossils from the Cretaceous–Paleogene Hornerstown Formation, an 80–90% glauconitic greensand from Jean and Ric Edelman Fossil Park in Mantua Township, NJ. Twelve samples were demineralized and found to yield products morphologically consistent with vertebrate osteocytes, blood vessels, and bone matrix. Specimens from these deposits that are dark in color exhibit excellent histological preservation and yielded a greater recovery of cells and soft tissues, whereas lighter-colored specimens exhibit poor histology and few to no cells/soft tissues. Additionally, a well-preserved femur of the marine crocodilian Thoracosaurus was found to have retained endogenous collagen I by immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Our results thus not only corroborate previous findings that soft tissue and biomolecular recovery from fossils preserved in marine environments are possible but also expand the range of depositional environments documented to preserve endogenous biomolecules, thus broadening the suite of geologic strata that may be fruitful to examine in future paleomolecular studies.
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6
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Abstract
The goal of paleoproteomics is to characterize proteins from specimens that have been subjected to the degrading and obscuring effects of time, thus obtaining biological information about tissues or organisms both unobservable in the present and unobtainable through morphological study. Although the description of sequences from Tyrannosaurus rex and Brachylophosaurus canadensis suggested that proteins may persist over tens of millions of years, the majority of paleoproteomic analyses have focused on historical, archeological, or relatively young paleontological samples that rarely exceed 1 million years in age. However, recent advances in methodology and analyses of diverse tissues types (e.g., fossil eggshell, dental enamel) have begun closing the large window of time that remains unexplored in the fossil history of the Cenozoic. In this perspective, we discuss the history and current state of deep time paleoproteomics (DTPp), here defined as paleoproteomic study of samples ∼1 million years (1 Ma) or more in age. We then discuss the future of DTPp research, including what we see as critical ways the field can expand, advancements in technology that can be utilized, and the types of questions DTPp can address if such a future is realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena R Schroeter
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Timothy P Cleland
- Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, Maryland 20746, United States
| | - Mary H Schweitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States.,North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina 27605, United States.,Department of Geology, Lund University, Lund SE-221 00, Sweden
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7
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Ullmann PV, Macauley K, Ash RD, Shoup B, Scannella JB. Taphonomic and Diagenetic Pathways to Protein Preservation, Part I: The Case of Tyrannosaurus rex Specimen MOR 1125. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:1193. [PMID: 34827186 PMCID: PMC8614911 DOI: 10.3390/biology10111193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Many recent reports have demonstrated remarkable preservation of proteins in fossil bones dating back to the Permian. However, preservation mechanisms that foster the long-term stability of biomolecules and the taphonomic circumstances facilitating them remain largely unexplored. To address this, we examined the taphonomic and geochemical history of Tyrannosaurus rex specimen Museum of the Rockies (MOR) 1125, whose right femur and tibiae were previously shown to retain still-soft tissues and endogenous proteins. By combining taphonomic insights with trace element compositional data, we reconstruct the postmortem history of this famous specimen. Our data show that following prolonged, subaqueous decay in an estuarine channel, MOR 1125 was buried in a coarse sandstone wherein its bones fossilized while interacting with oxic and potentially brackish early-diagenetic groundwaters. Once its bones became stable fossils, they experienced minimal further chemical alteration. Comparisons with other recent studies reveal that oxidizing early-diagenetic microenvironments and diagenetic circumstances which restrict exposure to percolating pore fluids elevate biomolecular preservation potential by promoting molecular condensation reactions and hindering chemical alteration, respectively. Avoiding protracted interactions with late-diagenetic pore fluids is also likely crucial. Similar studies must be conducted on fossil bones preserved under diverse paleoenvironmental and diagenetic contexts to fully elucidate molecular preservation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul V. Ullmann
- Department of Geology, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA;
| | - Kyle Macauley
- Department of Geology, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA;
| | - Richard D. Ash
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA;
| | - Ben Shoup
- Absaroka Energy & Environmental Solutions, Buffalo, WY 82834, USA;
| | - John B. Scannella
- Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA;
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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8
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Forensic proteomics. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2021; 54:102529. [PMID: 34139528 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Protein is a major component of all biological evidence, often the matrix that embeds other biomolecules such as polynucleotides, lipids, carbohydrates, and small molecules. The proteins in a sample reflect the transcriptional and translational program of the originating cell types. Because of this, proteins can be used to identify body fluids and tissues, as well as convey genetic information in the form of single amino acid polymorphisms, the result of non-synonymous SNPs. This review explores the application and potential of forensic proteomics. The historical role that protein analysis played in the development of forensic science is examined. This review details how innovations in proteomic mass spectrometry have addressed many of the historical limitations of forensic protein science, and how the application of forensic proteomics differs from proteomics in the life sciences. Two more developed applications of forensic proteomics are examined in detail: body fluid and tissue identification, and proteomic genotyping. The review then highlights developing areas of proteomics that have the potential to impact forensic science in the near future: fingermark analysis, species identification, peptide toxicology, proteomic sex estimation, and estimation of post-mortem intervals. Finally, the review highlights some of the newer innovations in proteomics that may drive further development of the field. In addition to potential impact, this review also attempts to evaluate the stage of each application in the development, validation and implementation process. This review is targeted at investigators who are interested in learning about proteomics in a forensic context and expanding the amount of information they can extract from biological evidence.
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9
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Cleland TP, Schroeter ER, Colleary C. Diagenetiforms: A new term to explain protein changes as a result of diagenesis in paleoproteomics. J Proteomics 2020; 230:103992. [PMID: 32992016 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The term proteoform describes all combinations of change in a protein, as elucidated through intact mass proteomics. Paleoproteomic studies have begun using digestion-free and top-down techniques to access information from ancient and historical remains. However, to discuss protein changes that uniquely occur to archaeological and paleontological proteomes as the result of diagenesis (i.e., physical and chemical change imparted by burial), a novel term is needed that both addresses issues of combinatorics and distinguishes diagenetic-specific alteration. SIGNIFICANCE: The term diagenetiform provides the opportunity to communicate clearly the sets of diagenetic changes found on preserved proteins. The diagenetiform nomenclature will allow for top-down paleoproteomic studies to accurately describe the total changes detected on ancient proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy P Cleland
- Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, MD 20746, United States of America.
| | - Elena R Schroeter
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States of America
| | - Caitlin Colleary
- Department of Vertebrate Paleontology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States of America
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10
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Molecular tests support the viability of rare earth elements as proxies for fossil biomolecule preservation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15566. [PMID: 32968129 PMCID: PMC7511940 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72648-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The rare earth element (REE) composition of a fossil bone reflects its chemical alteration during diagenesis. Consequently, fossils presenting low REE concentrations and/or REE profiles indicative of simple diffusion, signifying minimal alteration, have been proposed as ideal candidates for paleomolecular investigation. We directly tested this prediction by conducting multiple biomolecular assays on a well-preserved fibula of the dinosaur Edmontosaurus from the Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation previously found to exhibit low REE concentrations and steeply-declining REE profiles. Gel electrophoresis identified the presence of organic material in this specimen, and subsequent immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays identified preservation of epitopes of the structural protein collagen I. Our results thereby support the utility of REE profiles as proxies for soft tissue and biomolecular preservation in fossil bones. Based on considerations of trace element taphonomy, we also draw predictions as to the biomolecular recovery potential of additional REE profile types exhibited by fossil bones.
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11
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Cadena EA. In situ SEM/EDS compositional characterization of osteocytes and blood vessels in fossil and extant turtles on untreated bone surfaces; different preservational pathways microns away. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9833. [PMID: 32913685 PMCID: PMC7456530 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteocytes and blood vessels are the main cellular and tissue components of the bone tissue of vertebrates. Evidence of these soft-tissue microstructures has been widely documented in the fossil record of Mesozoic and Cenozoic turtles. However, all these studies have characterized morphologically and elementally these microstructures via isolation from the fossilized bone matrix where they were preserved or in ground sections, which could raise skepticism about the results due to potential cross-contamination or reagents effects. Fossil turtle bones from three different localities with distinct preservation environments and geological settings, including Mongolemys elegans from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia, Allaeochelys crassesculpta from the Eocene of Germany, and a podocnemidid indet. from the Miocene of Colombia are studied here. Bone from two extant turtle species, Lepidochelys olivacea, and Podocnemis lewyana, as well as a commercial chicken Gallus gallus were used for comparisons. Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy analyses performed directly on untreated fresh surfaces show that osteocytes-like in the fossil turtle bone are mostly composed of iron and manganese. In contrast, the in situ blood vessels-like of the fossil turtles, as well as those from the extant taxa are rich in elements typically organic in origin (carbon and nitrogen), which are absent to minimally present in the surrounding bone or rock matrix; this suggests a possible endogenous composition for these fossil structures. Also, the results presented here show that although originally both (osteocytes and blood vessels) are organic soft components of bone as evidenced in the extant turtles and chicken, they can experience completely different preservational pathways only microns away from each other in the same fossil bone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin-Alberto Cadena
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Grupo de Investigación Paleontología Neotropical Tradicional y Molecular (PaleoNeo), Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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12
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Bailleul AM, O'Connor J, Li Z, Wu Q, Zhao T, Martinez Monleon MA, Wang M, Zheng X. Confirmation of ovarian follicles in an enantiornithine (Aves) from the Jehol biota using soft tissue analyses. Commun Biol 2020; 3:399. [PMID: 32724075 PMCID: PMC7387556 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01131-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The remains of ovarian follicles reported in nine specimens of basal birds represents one of the most remarkable examples of soft-tissue preservation in the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota. This discovery was immediately contested and the structures alternatively interpreted as ingested seeds. Fragments of the purported follicles preserved in an enantiornithine (STM10-12) were extracted and subjected to multiple high-resolution analyses. The structures in STM10-12 possess the histological and histochemical characteristics of smooth muscles fibers intertwined together with collagen fibers, resembling the contractile structure in the perifollicular membrane (PFM) of living birds. Fossilized blood vessels, very abundant in extant PFMs, are also preserved. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy shows the preserved tissues primarily underwent alumino-silicification, with minor mineralization via iron oxides. No evidence of plant tissue was found. These results confirm the original interpretation as follicles within the left ovary, supporting the interpretation that the right ovary was functionally lost early in avian evolution. Bailleul et al. employ histology, histochemistry and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy to confirm the presence of disputed ovarian follicles in a specimen of fossil Cretaceous bird. These findings have implications for the evolution of the avian breeding system seen in birds today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alida M Bailleul
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044, Beijing, China. .,CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, 100044, Beijing, China.
| | - Jingmai O'Connor
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, 100044, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, 100044, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Wu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, 100044, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Min Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, 100044, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, 276005, Linyi City, Shandong, China.,Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, 273300, Linyi City, Shandong, China
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13
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Alfonso-Rojas A, Cadena EA. Exceptionally preserved 'skin' in an Early Cretaceous fish from Colombia. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9479. [PMID: 32714661 PMCID: PMC7353916 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of soft tissue, cells and original biomolecular constituents preserved in fossil vertebrates have increased greatly in recent years. Here we report preservation of 'skin' with chemical and molecular characterization from a three-dimensionally preserved caudal portion of an aspidorhynchid Cretaceous fish from the equatorial Barremian of Colombia, increasing the number of localities for which exceptional preservation is known. We applied several analytical techniques including SEM-EDS, FTIR and ToF-SIMS to characterize the micromorphology and molecular and elemental composition of this fossil. Here, we show that the fossilized 'skin' exhibits similarities with those from extant fish, including the wrinkles after suffering compression stress and flexibility, as well as architectural and tissue aspects of the two main layers (epidermis and dermis). This similarity extends also to the molecular level, with the demonstrated preservation of potential residues of original proteins not consistent with a bacterial source. Our results show a potential preservation mechanism where scales may have acted as an external barrier and together with an internal phosphate layer resulting from the degradation of the dermis itself creating an encapsulated environment for the integument.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Alfonso-Rojas
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Grupo de Investigación Paleontología Neotropical Tradicional y Molecular (PaleoNeo), Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Edwin-Alberto Cadena
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Grupo de Investigación Paleontología Neotropical Tradicional y Molecular (PaleoNeo), Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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14
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Liang R, Lau MCY, Saitta ET, Garvin ZK, Onstott TC. Genome-centric resolution of novel microbial lineages in an excavated Centrosaurus dinosaur fossil bone from the Late Cretaceous of North America. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2020; 15:8. [PMID: 33902738 PMCID: PMC8067395 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-020-00355-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exceptional preservation of endogenous organics such as collagens and blood vessels has been frequently reported in Mesozoic dinosaur fossils. The persistence of these soft tissues in Mesozoic fossil bones has been challenged because of the susceptibility of proteins to degradation and because bone porosity allows microorganisms to colonize the inner microenvironments through geological time. Although protein lability has been studied extensively, the genomic diversity of microbiomes in dinosaur fossil bones and their potential roles in bone taphonomy remain underexplored. Genome-resolved metagenomics was performed, therefore, on the microbiomes recovered from a Late Cretaceous Centrosaurus bone and its encompassing mudstone in order to provide insight into the genomic potential for microbial alteration of fossil bone. RESULTS Co-assembly and binning of metagenomic reads resulted in a total of 46 high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) affiliated to six bacterial phyla (Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Nitrospira, Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes and Chloroflexi) and 1 archaeal phylum (Thaumarchaeota). The majority of the MAGs represented uncultivated, novel microbial lineages from class to species levels based on phylogenetics, phylogenomics and average amino acid identity. Several MAGs from the classes Nitriliruptoria, Deltaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria were highly enriched in the bone relative to the adjacent mudstone. Annotation of the MAGs revealed that the distinct putative metabolic functions of different taxonomic groups were linked to carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and iron metabolism. Metaproteomics revealed gene expression from many of the MAGs, but no endogenous collagen peptides were identified in the bone that could have been derived from the dinosaur. Estimated in situ replication rates among the bacterial MAGs suggested that most of the microbial populations in the bone might have been actively growing but at a slow rate. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that excavated dinosaur bones are habitats for microorganisms including novel microbial lineages. The distinctive microhabitats and geochemistry of fossil bone interiors compared to that of the external sediment enrich a microbial biomass comprised of various novel taxa that harbor multiple gene sets related to interconnected biogeochemical processes. Therefore, the presence of these microbiomes in Mesozoic dinosaur fossils urges extra caution to be taken in the science of paleontology when hunting for endogenous biomolecules preserved from deep time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renxing Liang
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, B88, Guyot Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.
| | - Maggie C Y Lau
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, B88, Guyot Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
- Present address: Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Evan T Saitta
- Integrative Research Center, Section of Earth Sciences, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA
| | - Zachary K Garvin
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, B88, Guyot Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Tullis C Onstott
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, B88, Guyot Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
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15
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Bailleul AM, Zheng W, Horner JR, Hall BK, Holliday CM, Schweitzer MH. Evidence of proteins, chromosomes and chemical markers of DNA in exceptionally preserved dinosaur cartilage. Natl Sci Rev 2020; 7:815-822. [PMID: 34692099 PMCID: PMC8289162 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwz206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
A histological ground-section from a duck-billed dinosaur nestling (Hypacrosaurus stebingeri) revealed microstructures morphologically consistent with nuclei and chromosomes in cells within calcified cartilage. We hypothesized that this exceptional cellular preservation extended to the molecular level and had molecular features in common with extant avian cartilage. Histochemical and immunological evidence supports in situ preservation of extracellular matrix components found in extant cartilage, including glycosaminoglycans and collagen type II. Furthermore, isolated Hypacrosaurus chondrocytes react positively with two DNA intercalating stains. Specific DNA staining is only observed inside the isolated cells, suggesting endogenous nuclear material survived fossilization. Our data support the hypothesis that calcified cartilage is preserved at the molecular level in this Mesozoic material, and suggest that remnants of once-living chondrocytes, including their DNA, may preserve for millions of years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alida M Bailleul
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Wenxia Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - John R Horner
- Honors Program, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Brian K Hall
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Casey M Holliday
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Mary H Schweitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
- Department of Geology, University of Lund, 22362, Sweden
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16
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Abstract
Introduction: Despite an extensive published literature, skepticism over the claim of original biochemicals including proteins preserved in the fossil record persists and the issue remains controversial. Workers using many different techniques including mass spectrometry, X-ray, electron microscopy and optical spectroscopic techniques, have attempted to verify proteinaceous or other biochemicals that appear endogenous to fossils found throughout the geologic column.Areas covered: This paper presents a review of the relevant literature published over the last 50 years. A comparative survey of the reported techniques used is also given.Expert opinion: Morphological and molecular investigations show that original biochemistry is geologically extensive, geographically global, and taxonomically wide-ranging. The survival of endogenous organics in fossils remains the subject of widespread and increasing research investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Thomas
- Mass Spectrometry Group, Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Stephen Taylor
- Mass Spectrometry Group, Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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17
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Boatman EM, Goodwin MB, Holman HYN, Fakra S, Zheng W, Gronsky R, Schweitzer MH. Mechanisms of soft tissue and protein preservation in Tyrannosaurus rex. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15678. [PMID: 31666554 PMCID: PMC6821828 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51680-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The idea that original soft tissue structures and the native structural proteins comprising them can persist across geological time is controversial, in part because rigorous and testable mechanisms that can occur under natural conditions, resulting in such preservation, have not been well defined. Here, we evaluate two non-enzymatic structural protein crosslinking mechanisms, Fenton chemistry and glycation, for their possible contribution to the preservation of blood vessel structures recovered from the cortical bone of a Tyrannosaurus rex (USNM 555000 [formerly, MOR 555]). We demonstrate the endogeneity of the fossil vessel tissues, as well as the presence of type I collagen in the outermost vessel layers, using imaging, diffraction, spectroscopy, and immunohistochemistry. Then, we use data derived from synchrotron FTIR studies of the T. rex vessels to analyse their crosslink character, with comparison against two non-enzymatic Fenton chemistry- and glycation-treated extant chicken samples. We also provide supporting X-ray microprobe analyses of the chemical state of these fossil tissues to support our conclusion that non-enzymatic crosslinking pathways likely contributed to stabilizing, and thus preserving, these T. rex vessels. Finally, we propose that these stabilizing crosslinks could play a crucial role in the preservation of other microvascular tissues in skeletal elements from the Mesozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Boatman
- Department of Engineering, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, 27101, USA.
| | - Mark B Goodwin
- Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Hoi-Ying N Holman
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sirine Fakra
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Wenxia Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Ronald Gronsky
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Mary H Schweitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.,Department of Geology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, 27601, USA.,Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
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18
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Schweitzer MH, Schroeter ER, Cleland TP, Zheng W. Paleoproteomics of Mesozoic Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Fossils. Proteomics 2019; 19:e1800251. [PMID: 31172628 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201800251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Molecular studies have contributed greatly to our understanding of evolutionary processes that act upon virtually every aspect of living organisms. However, these studies are limited with regard to extinct organisms, particularly those from the Mesozoic because fossils pose unique challenges to molecular workflows, and because prevailing wisdom suggests no endogenous molecular components can persist into deep time. Here, the power and potential of a molecular approach to Mesozoic fossils is discussed. Molecular methods that have been applied to Mesozoic fossils-including iconic, non-avian dinosaurs- and the challenges inherent in such analyses, are compared and evaluated. Taphonomic processes resulting in the transition of living organisms from the biosphere into the fossil record are reviewed, and the possible effects of taphonomic alteration on downstream analyses that can be problematic for very old material (e.g., molecular modifications, limitations of on comparative databases) are addressed. Molecular studies applied to ancient remains are placed in historical context, and past and current studies are evaluated with respect to producing phylogenetically and/or evolutionarily significant data. Finally, some criteria for assessing the presence of endogenous biomolecules in very ancient fossil remains are suggested as a starting framework for such studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Higby Schweitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, 27695, NC.,North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC.,Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT.,Department of Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Elena R Schroeter
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, 27695, NC
| | - Timothy P Cleland
- Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, 20746, MD
| | - Wenxia Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, 27695, NC
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19
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Saitta ET, Liang R, Lau MCY, Brown CM, Longrich NR, Kaye TG, Novak BJ, Salzberg SL, Norell MA, Abbott GD, Dickinson MR, Vinther J, Bull ID, Brooker RA, Martin P, Donohoe P, Knowles TDJ, Penkman KEH, Onstott T. Cretaceous dinosaur bone contains recent organic material and provides an environment conducive to microbial communities. eLife 2019; 8:e46205. [PMID: 31210129 PMCID: PMC6581507 DOI: 10.7554/elife.46205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossils were thought to lack original organic molecules, but chemical analyses show that some can survive. Dinosaur bone has been proposed to preserve collagen, osteocytes, and blood vessels. However, proteins and labile lipids are diagenetically unstable, and bone is a porous open system, allowing microbial/molecular flux. These 'soft tissues' have been reinterpreted as biofilms. Organic preservation versus contamination of dinosaur bone was examined by freshly excavating, with aseptic protocols, fossils and sedimentary matrix, and chemically/biologically analyzing them. Fossil 'soft tissues' differed from collagen chemically and structurally; while degradation would be expected, the patterns observed did not support this. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed that dinosaur bone hosted an abundant microbial community different from lesser abundant communities of surrounding sediment. Subsurface dinosaur bone is a relatively fertile habitat, attracting microbes that likely utilize inorganic nutrients and complicate identification of original organic material. There exists potential post-burial taphonomic roles for subsurface microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan T Saitta
- Integrative Research Center, Section of Earth SciencesField Museum of Natural HistoryChicagoUnited States
| | - Renxing Liang
- Department of GeosciencesPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Maggie CY Lau
- Department of GeosciencesPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and EngineeringChinese Academy of SciencesSanyaChina
| | - Caleb M Brown
- Royal Tyrrell Museum of PalaeontologyDrumhellerCanada
| | - Nicholas R Longrich
- Department of Biology and BiochemistryUniversity of BathBathUnited Kingdom
- Milner Centre for EvolutionUniversity of BathBathUnited Kingdom
| | - Thomas G Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific AdvancementSierra VistaUnited States
| | - Ben J Novak
- Revive and RestoreSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Steven L Salzberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Computational Biology, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic MedicineJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Computer Science, Center for Computational Biology, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic MedicineJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Biostatistics, Center for Computational Biology, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic MedicineJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Mark A Norell
- Division of PaleontologyAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Geoffrey D Abbott
- School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Jakob Vinther
- School of Earth SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Ian D Bull
- School of ChemistryUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Peter Martin
- School of PhysicsUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Paul Donohoe
- School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUnited Kingdom
| | - Timothy DJ Knowles
- School of ChemistryUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
- School of ArtsUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Tullis Onstott
- Department of GeosciencesPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
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20
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Abstract
Ancient protein analysis is a rapidly developing field of research. Proteins ranging in age from the Quaternary to Jurassic are being used to answer questions about phylogeny, evolution, and extinction. However, these analyses are sometimes contentious, and focus primarily on large vertebrates in sedimentary fossilisation environments; there are few studies of protein preservation in fossils in amber. Here we show exceptionally slow racemisation rates during thermal degradation experiments of resin enclosed feathers, relative to previous thermal degradation experiments of ostrich eggshell, coral skeleton, and limpet shell. We also recover amino acids from two specimens of fossil feathers in amber. The amino acid compositions are broadly similar to those of degraded feathers, but concentrations are very low, suggesting that much of the original protein has been degraded and lost. High levels of racemisation in more apolar, slowly racemising amino acids suggest that some of the amino acids were ancient and therefore original. Our findings indicate that the unique fossilisation environment inside amber shows potential for the recovery of ancient amino acids and proteins.
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21
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Schweitzer MH, Zheng W, Moyer AE, Sjövall P, Lindgren J. Preservation potential of keratin in deep time. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0206569. [PMID: 30485294 PMCID: PMC6261410 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple fossil discoveries and taphonomic experiments have established the durability of keratin. The utility and specificity of antibodies to identify keratin peptides has also been established, both in extant feathers under varying treatment conditions, and in feathers from extinct organisms. Here, we show localization of feather-keratin antibodies to control and heat-treated feathers, testifying to the repeatability of initial data supporting the preservation potential of keratin. We then show new data at higher resolution that demonstrates the specific response of these antibodies to the feather matrix, we support the presence of protein in heat-treated feathers using ToF-SIMS, and we apply these methods to a fossil feather preserved in the unusual environment of sinter hot springs. We stress the importance of employing realistic conditions such as sediment burial when designing experiments intended as proxies for taphonomic processes occurring in the fossil record. Our data support the hypothesis that keratin, particularly the β-keratin that comprises feathers, has potential to preserve in fossil remains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Higby Schweitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Geology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Wenxia Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Alison E. Moyer
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Peter Sjövall
- RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Chemistry and Materials, Borås, Sweden
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22
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Cleland TP. Human Bone Paleoproteomics Utilizing the Single-Pot, Solid-Phase-Enhanced Sample Preparation Method to Maximize Detected Proteins and Reduce Humics. J Proteome Res 2018; 17:3976-3983. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.8b00637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy P. Cleland
- Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, Maryland 20746, United States
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23
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Welker F. Elucidation of cross-species proteomic effects in human and hominin bone proteome identification through a bioinformatics experiment. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:23. [PMID: 29463217 PMCID: PMC5819086 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1141-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The study of ancient protein sequences is increasingly focused on the analysis of older samples, including those of ancient hominins. The analysis of such ancient proteomes thereby potentially suffers from "cross-species proteomic effects": the loss of peptide and protein identifications at increased evolutionary distances due to a larger number of protein sequence differences between the database sequence and the analyzed organism. Error-tolerant proteomic search algorithms should theoretically overcome this problem at both the peptide and protein level; however, this has not been demonstrated. If error-tolerant searches do not overcome the cross-species proteomic issue then there might be inherent biases in the identified proteomes. Here, a bioinformatics experiment is performed to test this using a set of modern human bone proteomes and three independent searches against sequence databases at increasing evolutionary distances: the human (0 Ma), chimpanzee (6-8 Ma) and orangutan (16-17 Ma) reference proteomes, respectively. RESULTS Incorrectly suggested amino acid substitutions are absent when employing adequate filtering criteria for mutable Peptide Spectrum Matches (PSMs), but roughly half of the mutable PSMs were not recovered. As a result, peptide and protein identification rates are higher in error-tolerant mode compared to non-error-tolerant searches but did not recover protein identifications completely. Data indicates that peptide length and the number of mutations between the target and database sequences are the main factors influencing mutable PSM identification. CONCLUSIONS The error-tolerant results suggest that the cross-species proteomics problem is not overcome at increasing evolutionary distances, even at the protein level. Peptide and protein loss has the potential to significantly impact divergence dating and proteome comparisons when using ancient samples as there is a bias towards the identification of conserved sequences and proteins. Effects are minimized between moderately divergent proteomes, as indicated by almost complete recovery of informative positions in the search against the chimpanzee proteome (≈90%, 6-8 Ma). This provides a bioinformatic background to future phylogenetic and proteomic analysis of ancient hominin proteomes, including the future description of novel hominin amino acid sequences, but also has negative implications for the study of fast-evolving proteins in hominins, non-hominin animals, and ancient bacterial proteins in evolutionary contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Welker
- Department of Human Evolution, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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24
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Cleland TP, Schroeter ER. A Comparison of Common Mass Spectrometry Approaches for Paleoproteomics. J Proteome Res 2018; 17:936-945. [PMID: 29384680 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.7b00703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The last two decades have seen a broad diversity of methods used to identify and/or characterize proteins in the archeological and paleontological record. Of these, mass spectrometry has opened an unprecedented window into the proteomes of the past, providing protein sequence data from long extinct animals as well as historical and prehistorical artifacts. Thus, application of mass spectrometry to fossil remains has become an attractive source for ancient molecular sequences with which to conduct evolutionary studies, particularly in specimens older than the proposed limit of amplifiable DNA detection. However, "mass spectrometry" covers a range of mass-based proteomic approaches, each of which utilize different technology and physical principles to generate unique types of data, with their own strengths and challenges. Here, we discuss a variety of mass spectrometry techniques that have or may be used to detect and characterize archeological and paleontological proteins, with a particular focus on MALDI-MS, LC-MS/MS, TOF-SIMS, and MSi. The main differences in their functionality, the types of data they produce, and the potential effects of diagenesis on their results are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy P Cleland
- Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution , Suitland, Maryland 20746, United States
| | - Elena R Schroeter
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
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25
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Buckley M, Warwood S, van Dongen B, Kitchener AC, Manning PL. A fossil protein chimera; difficulties in discriminating dinosaur peptide sequences from modern cross-contamination. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:rspb.2017.0544. [PMID: 28566488 PMCID: PMC5454271 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A decade ago, reports that organic-rich soft tissue survived from dinosaur fossils were apparently supported by proteomics-derived sequence information of exceptionally well-preserved bone. This initial claim to the sequencing of endogenous collagen peptides from an approximately 68 Myr Tyrannosaurus rex fossil was highly controversial, largely on the grounds of potential contamination from either bacterial biofilms or from laboratory practice. In a subsequent study, collagen peptide sequences from an approximately 78 Myr Brachylophosaurus canadensis fossil were reported that have remained largely unchallenged. However, the endogeneity of these sequences relies heavily on a single peptide sequence, apparently unique to both dinosaurs. Given the potential for cross-contamination from modern bone analysed by the same team, here we extract collagen from bone samples of three individuals of ostrich, Struthio camelus The resulting LC-MS/MS data were found to match all of the proposed sequences for both the original Tyrannosaurus and Brachylophosaurus studies. Regardless of the true nature of the dinosaur peptides, our finding highlights the difficulty of differentiating such sequences with confidence. Our results not only imply that cross-contamination cannot be ruled out, but that appropriate measures to test for endogeneity should be further evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Buckley
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester M1 7DN, UK .,School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Stacey Warwood
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Bart van Dongen
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Andrew C Kitchener
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK.,Institute of Geography, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK
| | - Phillip L Manning
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.,Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
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26
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Cleland TP, Schroeter ER, Feranec RS, Vashishth D. Peptide sequences from the first Castoroides ohioensis skull and the utility of old museum collections for palaeoproteomics. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0593. [PMID: 27306052 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate fossils have been collected for hundreds of years and are stored in museum collections around the world. These remains provide a readily available resource to search for preserved proteins; however, the vast majority of palaeoproteomic studies have focused on relatively recently collected bones with a well-known handling history. Here, we characterize proteins from the nasal turbinates of the first Castoroides ohioensis skull ever discovered. Collected in 1845, this is the oldest museum-curated specimen characterized using palaeoproteomic tools. Our mass spectrometry analysis detected many collagen I peptides, a peptide from haemoglobin beta, and in vivo and diagenetic post-translational modifications. Additionally, the identified collagen I sequences provide enough resolution to place C. ohioensis within Rodentia. This study illustrates the utility of archived museum specimens for both the recovery of preserved proteins and phylogenetic analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy P Cleland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Elena R Schroeter
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | | | - Deepak Vashishth
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
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27
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Zaucha J, Heddle JG. Resurrecting the Dead (Molecules). Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2017; 15:351-358. [PMID: 28652896 PMCID: PMC5472138 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological molecules, like organisms themselves, are subject to genetic drift and may even become "extinct". Molecules that are no longer extant in living systems are of high interest for several reasons including insight into how existing life forms evolved and the possibility that they may have new and useful properties no longer available in currently functioning molecules. Predicting the sequence/structure of such molecules and synthesizing them so that their properties can be tested is the basis of "molecular resurrection" and may lead not only to a deeper understanding of evolution, but also to the production of artificial proteins with novel properties and even to insight into how life itself began.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Zaucha
- Departament of Computer Science, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan G. Heddle
- Bionanoscience and Biochemistry Laboratory, Jagiellonian University, Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Gronstajowa 7A, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
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28
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Manfredi M, Barberis E, Gosetti F, Conte E, Gatti G, Mattu C, Robotti E, Zilberstein G, Koman I, Zilberstein S, Marengo E, Righetti PG. Method for Noninvasive Analysis of Proteins and Small Molecules from Ancient Objects. Anal Chem 2017; 89:3310-3317. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b03722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Manfredi
- Dipartimento
di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Viale Teresa Michel 11, 15121, Alessandria, Italy
- ISALIT, Via G. Bovio 6, 28100, Novara, Novara, Italy
| | - Elettra Barberis
- Dipartimento
di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Viale Teresa Michel 11, 15121, Alessandria, Italy
- ISALIT, Via G. Bovio 6, 28100, Novara, Novara, Italy
| | - Fabio Gosetti
- Dipartimento
di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Viale Teresa Michel 11, 15121, Alessandria, Italy
| | | | - Giorgio Gatti
- Dipartimento
di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Viale Teresa Michel 11, 15121, Alessandria, Italy
| | - Clara Mattu
- Politecnico di Torino - sede di Alessandria, Viale T. Michel, 5 15121 Alessandria, Italy
| | - Elisa Robotti
- Dipartimento
di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Viale Teresa Michel 11, 15121, Alessandria, Italy
| | | | - Igor Koman
- Translational
Medicine Institute, Ariel University, Ariel, 40700 Israel
| | | | - Emilio Marengo
- Dipartimento
di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Viale Teresa Michel 11, 15121, Alessandria, Italy
| | - Pier Giorgio Righetti
- Department
of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “‘Giulio Natta”’, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, Milano 20131, Italy
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29
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Schroeter ER, DeHart CJ, Cleland TP, Zheng W, Thomas PM, Kelleher NL, Bern M, Schweitzer MH. Expansion for the Brachylophosaurus canadensis Collagen I Sequence and Additional Evidence of the Preservation of Cretaceous Protein. J Proteome Res 2017; 16:920-932. [PMID: 28111950 PMCID: PMC5401637 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Sequence data from biomolecules such as DNA and proteins, which provide critical information for evolutionary studies, have been assumed to be forever outside the reach of dinosaur paleontology. Proteins, which are predicted to have greater longevity than DNA, have been recovered from two nonavian dinosaurs, but these results remain controversial. For proteomic data derived from extinct Mesozoic organisms to reach their greatest potential for investigating questions of phylogeny and paleobiology, it must be shown that peptide sequences can be reliably and reproducibly obtained from fossils and that fragmentary sequences for ancient proteins can be increasingly expanded. To test the hypothesis that peptides can be repeatedly detected and validated from fossil tissues many millions of years old, we applied updated extraction methodology, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and bioinformatics analyses on a Brachylophosaurus canadensis specimen (MOR 2598) from which collagen I peptides were recovered in 2009. We recovered eight peptide sequences of collagen I: two identical to peptides recovered in 2009 and six new peptides. Phylogenetic analyses place the recovered sequences within basal archosauria. When only the new sequences are considered, B. canadensis is grouped more closely to crocodylians, but when all sequences (current and those reported in 2009) are analyzed, B. canadensis is placed more closely to basal birds. The data robustly support the hypothesis of an endogenous origin for these peptides, confirm the idea that peptides can survive in specimens tens of millions of years old, and bolster the validity of the 2009 study. Furthermore, the new data expand the coverage of B. canadensis collagen I (a 33.6% increase in collagen I alpha 1 and 116.7% in alpha 2). Finally, this study demonstrates the importance of reexamining previously studied specimens with updated methods and instrumentation, as we obtained roughly the same amount of sequence data as the previous study with substantially less sample material. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD005087.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena R. Schroeter
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Caroline J. DeHart
- National Resource for Translational and Developmental Proteomics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Timothy P. Cleland
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas-Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Wenxia Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Paul M. Thomas
- National Resource for Translational and Developmental Proteomics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Neil L. Kelleher
- National Resource for Translational and Developmental Proteomics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Marshall Bern
- Protein Metrics, San Carlos, California 94070, United States
| | - Mary H. Schweitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601, United States
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Falk H, Wolkenstein K. Natural Product Molecular Fossils. PROGRESS IN THE CHEMISTRY OF ORGANIC NATURAL PRODUCTS 104 2017; 104:1-126. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-45618-8_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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31
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Jones J, Mirzaei M, Ravishankar P, Xavier D, Lim DS, Shin DH, Bianucci R, Haynes PA. Identification of proteins from 4200-year-old skin and muscle tissue biopsies from ancient Egyptian mummies of the first intermediate period shows evidence of acute inflammation and severe immune response. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2016; 374:rsta.2015.0373. [PMID: 27644972 PMCID: PMC5031639 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2015.0373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
We performed proteomics analysis on four skin and one muscle tissue samples taken from three ancient Egyptian mummies of the first intermediate period, approximately 4200 years old. The mummies were first dated by radiocarbon dating of the accompany-\break ing textiles, and morphologically examined by scanning electron microscopy of additional skin samples. Proteins were extracted, separated on SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) gels, and in-gel digested with trypsin. The resulting peptides were analysed using nanoflow high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. We identified a total of 230 unique proteins from the five samples, which consisted of 132 unique protein identifications. We found a large number of collagens, which was confirmed by our microscopy data, and is in agreement with previous studies showing that collagens are very long-lived. As expected, we also found a large number of keratins. We identified numerous proteins that provide evidence of activation of the innate immunity system in two of the mummies, one of which also contained proteins indicating severe tissue inflammation, possibly indicative of an infection that we can speculate may have been related to the cause of death.This article is part of the themed issue 'Quantitative mass spectrometry'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Jones
- Department of Ancient History, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mirzaei
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Prathiba Ravishankar
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Dylan Xavier
- Australian Proteome Analysis Facility, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Do Seon Lim
- Department of Dental Hygiene, College of Health Sciences, Eulji University, Sungnam, South Korea
| | - Dong Hoon Shin
- Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Raffaella Bianucci
- Department of Public Health and Paediatric Sciences, Legal Medicine Section, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy UMR 7268, Laboratoire d'Anthropologie bio-culturelle, Droit, Étique and Santé (ADÉS), Faculté de Médecine de Marseille, 13344 Marseille, France
| | - Paul A Haynes
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
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Demarchi B, Hall S, Roncal-Herrero T, Freeman CL, Woolley J, Crisp MK, Wilson J, Fotakis A, Fischer R, Kessler BM, Rakownikow Jersie-Christensen R, Olsen JV, Haile J, Thomas J, Marean CW, Parkington J, Presslee S, Lee-Thorp J, Ditchfield P, Hamilton JF, Ward MW, Wang CM, Shaw MD, Harrison T, Domínguez-Rodrigo M, MacPhee RDE, Kwekason A, Ecker M, Kolska Horwitz L, Chazan M, Kröger R, Thomas-Oates J, Harding JH, Cappellini E, Penkman K, Collins MJ. Protein sequences bound to mineral surfaces persist into deep time. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27668515 PMCID: PMC5039028 DOI: 10.7554/elife.17092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins persist longer in the fossil record than DNA, but the longevity, survival mechanisms and substrates remain contested. Here, we demonstrate the role of mineral binding in preserving the protein sequence in ostrich (Struthionidae) eggshell, including from the palaeontological sites of Laetoli (3.8 Ma) and Olduvai Gorge (1.3 Ma) in Tanzania. By tracking protein diagenesis back in time we find consistent patterns of preservation, demonstrating authenticity of the surviving sequences. Molecular dynamics simulations of struthiocalcin-1 and -2, the dominant proteins within the eggshell, reveal that distinct domains bind to the mineral surface. It is the domain with the strongest calculated binding energy to the calcite surface that is selectively preserved. Thermal age calculations demonstrate that the Laetoli and Olduvai peptides are 50 times older than any previously authenticated sequence (equivalent to ~16 Ma at a constant 10°C). DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.17092.001 The pattern of chemical reactions that break down the molecules that make our bodies is still fairly mysterious. Archaeologists and geologists hope that dead organisms (or artefacts made from them) might not decay entirely, leaving behind clues to their lives. We know that some molecules are more resistant than others; for example, fats are tough and survive for a long time while DNA is degraded very rapidly. Proteins, which are made of chains of smaller molecules called amino acids, are usually sturdier than DNA. Since the amino acid sequence of a protein reflects the DNA sequence that encodes it, proteins in fossils can help researchers to reconstruct how extinct organisms are related in cases where DNA cannot be retrieved. Time, temperature, burial environment and the chemistry of the fossil all influence how quickly a protein decays. However, it is not clear what mechanisms slow down decay so that full protein sequences can be preserved and identified after millions of years. As a result, it is difficult to know where to look for these ancient sequences. In the womb of ostriches, several proteins are responsible for assembling the minerals that make up the ostrich eggshell. These proteins become trapped tightly within the mineral crystals themselves. In this situation, proteins can potentially be preserved over geological time. Demarchi et al. have now studied 3.8 million-year-old eggshells found close to the equator and, despite the extent to which the samples have degraded, discovered fully preserved protein sequences. Using a computer simulation method called molecular dynamics, Demarchi et al. calculated that the protein sequences that are able to survive the longest are stabilized by strong binding to the surface of the mineral crystals. The authenticity of these sequences was tested thoroughly using a combination of several approaches that Demarchi et al. recommend using as a standard for ancient protein studies. Overall, it appears that biominerals are an excellent source of ancient protein sequences because mineral binding ensures survival. A systematic survey of fossil biominerals from different environments is now needed to assess whether these biomolecules have the potential to act as barcodes for interpreting the evolution of organisms. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.17092.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Demarchi
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Shaun Hall
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | | | - Colin L Freeman
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Jos Woolley
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Molly K Crisp
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Julie Wilson
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, United Kingdom.,Department of Mathematics, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Fotakis
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Roman Fischer
- Advanced Proteomics Facility, Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Benedikt M Kessler
- Advanced Proteomics Facility, Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jesper V Olsen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - James Haile
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica Thomas
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, United Kingdom
| | - Curtis W Marean
- Institute of Human Origins, SHESC, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States.,Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - John Parkington
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Samantha Presslee
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Lee-Thorp
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Ditchfield
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline F Hamilton
- Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Martyn W Ward
- Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Chunting Michelle Wang
- Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Marvin D Shaw
- Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Terry Harrison
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, United States
| | | | - Ross DE MacPhee
- Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States
| | | | - Michaela Ecker
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Liora Kolska Horwitz
- National Natural History Collections, Faculty of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michael Chazan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein, South Africa
| | - Roland Kröger
- Department of Physics, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Jane Thomas-Oates
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, United Kingdom.,Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry, University of York, New York, United States
| | - John H Harding
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Enrico Cappellini
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kirsty Penkman
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Collins
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
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33
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Chemistry supports the identification of gender-specific reproductive tissue in Tyrannosaurus rex. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23099. [PMID: 26975806 PMCID: PMC4791554 DOI: 10.1038/srep23099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Medullary bone (MB), an estrogen-dependent reproductive tissue present in extant gravid birds, is texturally, histologically and compositionally distinct from other bone types. Phylogenetic proximity led to the proposal that MB would be present in non-avian dinosaurs, and recent studies have used microscopic, morphological, and regional homologies to identify this reproductive tissue in both theropod and ornithischian dinosaurs. Here, we capitalize on the unique chemical and histological fingerprint of MB in birds to characterize, at the molecular level, MB in the non-avian theropod Tyrannosaurus rex (MOR 1125), and show that the retention of original molecular components in fossils allows deeper physiological and evolutionary questions to be addressed.
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Spectroscopic Studies on Organic Matter from Triassic Reptile Bones, Upper Silesia, Poland. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151143. [PMID: 26977600 PMCID: PMC4792425 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossil biomolecules from an endogenous source were previously identified in Cretaceous to Pleistocene fossilized bones, the evidence coming from molecular analyses. These findings, however, were called into question and an alternative hypothesis of the invasion of the bone by bacterial biofilm was proposed. Herewith we report a new finding of morphologically preserved blood-vessel-like structures enclosing organic molecules preserved in iron-oxide-mineralized vessel walls from the cortical region of nothosaurid and tanystropheid (aquatic and terrestrial diapsid reptiles) bones. These findings are from the Early/Middle Triassic boundary (Upper Roetian/Lowermost Muschelkalk) strata of Upper Silesia, Poland. Multiple spectroscopic analyses (FTIR, ToF-SIMS, and XPS) of the extracted "blood vessels" showed the presence of organic compounds, including fragments of various amino acids such as hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine as well as amides, that may suggest the presence of collagen protein residues. Because these amino acids are absent from most proteins other than collagen, we infer that the proteinaceous molecules may originate from endogenous collagen. The preservation of molecular signals of proteins within the "blood vessels" was most likely made possible through the process of early diagenetic iron oxide mineralization. This discovery provides the oldest evidence of in situ preservation of complex organic molecules in vertebrate remains in a marine environment.
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35
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Schweitzer MH, Moyer AE, Zheng W. Testing the Hypothesis of Biofilm as a Source for Soft Tissue and Cell-Like Structures Preserved in Dinosaur Bone. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150238. [PMID: 26926069 PMCID: PMC4771714 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Recovery of still-soft tissue structures, including blood vessels and osteocytes, from dinosaur bone after demineralization was reported in 2005 and in subsequent publications. Despite multiple lines of evidence supporting an endogenous source, it was proposed that these structures arose from contamination from biofilm-forming organisms. To test the hypothesis that soft tissue structures result from microbial invasion of the fossil bone, we used two different biofilm-forming microorganisms to inoculate modern bone fragments from which organic components had been removed. We show fundamental morphological, chemical and textural differences between the resultant biofilm structures and those derived from dinosaur bone. The data do not support the hypothesis that biofilm-forming microorganisms are the source of these structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Higby Schweitzer
- Department of Biological Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Alison E. Moyer
- Department of Biological Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Wenxia Zheng
- Department of Biological Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
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Cadena E. Microscopical and elemental FESEM and Phenom ProX-SEM-EDS analysis of osteocyte- and blood vessel-like microstructures obtained from fossil vertebrates of the Eocene Messel Pit, Germany. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1618. [PMID: 26819855 PMCID: PMC4727973 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 01/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Eocene (∾48 Ma) Messel Pit in Germany is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its exceptionally preserved fossils, including vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. Messel fossil vertebrates are typically characterized by their articulated state, and in some cases the skin, hair, feathers, scales and stomach contents are also preserved. Despite the exceptional macroscopic preservation of Messel fossil vertebrates, the microstructural aspect of these fossils has been poorly explored. In particular, soft tissue structures such as hair or feathers have not been chemically analyzed, nor have bone microstructures. I report here the preservation and recovery of osteocyte-like and blood vessel-like microstructures from the bone of Messel Pit specimens, including the turtles Allaeochelys crassesculpta and Neochelys franzeni, the crocodile Diplocynodon darwini, and the pangolin Eomanis krebsi. I used a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and a Phenom ProX desktop scanning electron microscope (LOT-QuantumDesign) equipped with a thermionic CeB6 source and a high sensitivity multi-mode backscatter electron (BSE) for microscopical and elemental characterization of these bone microstructures. Osteocyte-like and blood vessel-like microstructures are constituted by a thin layer (∾50 nm thickness), external and internal mottled texture with slightly marked striations. Circular to linear marks are common on the external surface of the osteocyte-like microstructures and are interpreted as microbial troughs. Iron (Fe) is the most abundant element found in the osteocyte-like and blood vessel-like microstructures, but not in the bone matrix or collagen fibril-like microstructures. The occurrence of well-preserved soft-tissue elements (at least their physical form) establishes a promising background for future studies on preservation of biomolecules (proteins or DNA) in Messel Pit fossils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Cadena
- Paleoherpetology, Senckenberg Research Institute , Frankfurt am Main , Germany
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