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Moody ERR, Álvarez-Carretero S, Mahendrarajah TA, Clark JW, Betts HC, Dombrowski N, Szánthó LL, Boyle RA, Daines S, Chen X, Lane N, Yang Z, Shields GA, Szöllősi GJ, Spang A, Pisani D, Williams TA, Lenton TM, Donoghue PCJ. The nature of the last universal common ancestor and its impact on the early Earth system. Nat Ecol Evol 2024:10.1038/s41559-024-02461-1. [PMID: 38997462 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02461-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
The nature of the last universal common ancestor (LUCA), its age and its impact on the Earth system have been the subject of vigorous debate across diverse disciplines, often based on disparate data and methods. Age estimates for LUCA are usually based on the fossil record, varying with every reinterpretation. The nature of LUCA's metabolism has proven equally contentious, with some attributing all core metabolisms to LUCA, whereas others reconstruct a simpler life form dependent on geochemistry. Here we infer that LUCA lived ~4.2 Ga (4.09-4.33 Ga) through divergence time analysis of pre-LUCA gene duplicates, calibrated using microbial fossils and isotope records under a new cross-bracing implementation. Phylogenetic reconciliation suggests that LUCA had a genome of at least 2.5 Mb (2.49-2.99 Mb), encoding around 2,600 proteins, comparable to modern prokaryotes. Our results suggest LUCA was a prokaryote-grade anaerobic acetogen that possessed an early immune system. Although LUCA is sometimes perceived as living in isolation, we infer LUCA to have been part of an established ecological system. The metabolism of LUCA would have provided a niche for other microbial community members and hydrogen recycling by atmospheric photochemistry could have supported a modestly productive early ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund R R Moody
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | | | - Tara A Mahendrarajah
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - James W Clark
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Holly C Betts
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Nina Dombrowski
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Lénárd L Szánthó
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE 'Lendulet' Evolutionary Genomics Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Evolution, HUN-REN Center for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Stuart Daines
- Global Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nick Lane
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ziheng Yang
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Graham A Shields
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gergely J Szöllősi
- MTA-ELTE 'Lendulet' Evolutionary Genomics Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Evolution, HUN-REN Center for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
- Model-Based Evolutionary Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Anja Spang
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
- Department of Evolutionary & Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Davide Pisani
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Tom A Williams
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | | | - Philip C J Donoghue
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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Imachi H, Nobu MK, Kato S, Takaki Y, Miyazaki M, Miyata M, Ogawara M, Saito Y, Sakai S, Tahara YO, Takano Y, Tasumi E, Uematsu K, Yoshimura T, Itoh T, Ohkuma M, Takai K. Promethearchaeum syntrophicum gen. nov., sp. nov., an anaerobic, obligately syntrophic archaeon, the first isolate of the lineage 'Asgard' archaea, and proposal of the new archaeal phylum Promethearchaeota phyl. nov. and kingdom Promethearchaeati regn. nov. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2024; 74. [PMID: 38967634 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.006435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
An anaerobic, mesophilic, syntrophic, archaeon strain MK-D1T, was isolated as a pure co-culture with Methanogenium sp. strain MK-MG from deep-sea methane seep sediment. This organism is, to our knowledge, the first cultured representative of 'Asgard' archaea, an archaeal group closely related to eukaryotes. Here, we describe the detailed physiology and phylogeny of MK-D1T and propose Promethearchaeum syntrophicum gen. nov., sp. nov. to accommodate this strain. Cells were non-motile, small cocci, approximately 300-750 nm in diameter and produced membrane vesicles, chains of blebs and membrane-based protrusions. MK-D1T grew at 4-30 °C with optimum growth at 20 °C. The strain grew chemoorganotrophically with amino acids, peptides and yeast extract with obligate dependence on syntrophy with H2-/formate-utilizing organisms. MK-D1T showed the fastest growth and highest maximum cell yield when grown with yeast extract as the substrate: approximately 3 months to full growth, reaching up to 6.7×106 16S rRNA gene copies ml-1. MK-D1T had a circular 4.32 Mb chromosome with a DNA G+C content of 31.1 mol%. The results of phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA gene and conserved marker proteins indicated that the strain is affiliated with 'Asgard' archaea and more specifically DHVC1/DSAG/MBG-B and 'Lokiarchaeota'/'Lokiarchaeia'. On the basis of the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the most closely related isolated relatives were Infirmifilum lucidum 3507LTT (76.09 %) and Methanothermobacter tenebrarum RMAST (77.45 %) and the closest relative in enrichment culture was Candidatus 'Lokiarchaeum ossiferum' (95.39 %). The type strain of the type species is MK-D1T (JCM 39240T and JAMSTEC no. 115508). We propose the associated family, order, class, phylum, and kingdom as Promethearchaeaceae fam. nov., Promethearchaeales ord. nov., Promethearchaeia class. nov., Promethearchaeota phyl. nov., and Promethearchaeati regn. nov., respectively. These are in accordance with ICNP Rules 8 and 22 for nomenclature, Rule 30(3)(b) for validation and maintenance of the type strain, and Rule 31a for description as a member of an unambiguous syntrophic association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Imachi
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Masaru K Nobu
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Shingo Kato
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms (JCM), RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Japan
- Submarine Resources Research Center, JAMSTEC, Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Takaki
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Masayuki Miyazaki
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Makoto Miyata
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Miyuki Ogawara
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Yumi Saito
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Sanae Sakai
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Yuhei O Tahara
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Eiji Tasumi
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Uematsu
- Department of Marine and Earth Sciences, Marine Work Japan, Yokosuka, Japan
| | | | - Takashi Itoh
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms (JCM), RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Moriya Ohkuma
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms (JCM), RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Ken Takai
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
- Section for Exploration of Life in Extreme Environments, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
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Tamarit D, Köstlbacher S, Appler KE, Panagiotou K, De Anda V, Rinke C, Baker BJ, Ettema TJG. Description of Asgardarchaeum abyssi gen. nov. spec. nov., a novel species within the class Asgardarchaeia and phylum Asgardarchaeota in accordance with the SeqCode. Syst Appl Microbiol 2024; 47:126525. [PMID: 38909391 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2024.126525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Asgardarchaeota, commonly referred to as Asgard archaea, is a candidatus phylum-rank archaeal clade that includes the closest archaeal relatives of eukaryotes. Despite their prevalence in the scientific literature, the name Asgardarchaeota lacks nomenclatural validation. Here, we describe a novel high-quality metagenome-assembled genome (MAG), AB3033_2TS, proposed to serve as the nomenclatural type for the species Asgardarchaeum abyssiTS according to the rules of the SeqCode. Based on protein content and compositional features, we infer that A. abyssi AB3033_2TS is an acetogenic chemoheterotroph, possibly a facultative lithoautotroph, and is adapted to a thermophilic lifestyle. Utilizing genomes from Asgard archaea, TACK, and Euryarchaea, we perform phylogenomic reconstructions using the GTDB archaeal marker genes, the current reference set for taxonomic classification. Calibrating relative evolutionary divergence (RED) values for Asgardarchaeota using established Thermoproteota lineages in the GTDB r207 reference tree, we establish a robust classification and propose Asgardarchaeum as the type genus for the family Asgardarchaeaceae (fam. nov)., the order Asgardarchaeales (ord. nov.), the class Asgardarchaeia (class. nov.), and the phylum Asgardarchaeota (phyl. nov.). This effort aims to preserve taxonomic congruence in the scientific literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Tamarit
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Stephan Köstlbacher
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kathryn E Appler
- Department of Marine Science, University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX, USA
| | - Kassiani Panagiotou
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Valerie De Anda
- Department of Marine Science, University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Christian Rinke
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Brett J Baker
- Department of Marine Science, University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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4
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Bonchuk AN, Georgiev PG. C2H2 proteins: Evolutionary aspects of domain architecture and diversification. Bioessays 2024:e2400052. [PMID: 38873893 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202400052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
The largest group of transcription factors in higher eukaryotes are C2H2 proteins, which contain C2H2-type zinc finger domains that specifically bind to DNA. Few well-studied C2H2 proteins, however, demonstrate their key role in the control of gene expression and chromosome architecture. Here we review the features of the domain architecture of C2H2 proteins and the likely origin of C2H2 zinc fingers. A comprehensive investigation of proteomes for the presence of proteins with multiple clustered C2H2 domains has revealed a key difference between groups of organisms. Unlike plants, transcription factors in metazoans contain clusters of C2H2 domains typically separated by a linker with the TGEKP consensus sequence. The average size of C2H2 clusters varies substantially, even between genomes of higher metazoans, and with a tendency to increase in combination with SCAN, and especially KRAB domains, reflecting the increasing complexity of gene regulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem N Bonchuk
- Department of the Control of Genetic Processes, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Pavel G Georgiev
- Department of the Control of Genetic Processes, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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5
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Zou Y, Zhang Z, Zeng Y, Hu H, Hao Y, Huang S, Li B. Common Methods for Phylogenetic Tree Construction and Their Implementation in R. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:480. [PMID: 38790347 PMCID: PMC11117635 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11050480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
A phylogenetic tree can reflect the evolutionary relationships between species or gene families, and they play a critical role in modern biological research. In this review, we summarize common methods for constructing phylogenetic trees, including distance methods, maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference, and tree-integration methods (supermatrix and supertree). Here we discuss the advantages, shortcomings, and applications of each method and offer relevant codes to construct phylogenetic trees from molecular data using packages and algorithms in R. This review aims to provide comprehensive guidance and reference for researchers seeking to construct phylogenetic trees while also promoting further development and innovation in this field. By offering a clear and concise overview of the different methods available, we hope to enable researchers to select the most appropriate approach for their specific research questions and datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zou
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.); (Y.Z.); (H.H.); (Y.H.)
| | - Zixuan Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.); (Y.Z.); (H.H.); (Y.H.)
| | - Yujie Zeng
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.); (Y.Z.); (H.H.); (Y.H.)
| | - Hanyue Hu
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.); (Y.Z.); (H.H.); (Y.H.)
| | - Youjin Hao
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.); (Y.Z.); (H.H.); (Y.H.)
| | - Sheng Huang
- Animal Nutrition Institute, Chongqing Academy of Animal Science, Chongqing 402460, China
| | - Bo Li
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.); (Y.Z.); (H.H.); (Y.H.)
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6
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Boden JS, Zhong J, Anderson RE, Stüeken EE. Timing the evolution of phosphorus-cycling enzymes through geological time using phylogenomics. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3703. [PMID: 38697988 PMCID: PMC11066067 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47914-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Phosphorus plays a crucial role in controlling biological productivity, but geological estimates of phosphate concentrations in the Precambrian ocean, during life's origin and early evolution, vary over several orders of magnitude. While reduced phosphorus species may have served as alternative substrates to phosphate, their bioavailability on the early Earth remains unknown. Here, we reconstruct the phylogenomic record of life on Earth and find that phosphate transporting genes (pnas) evolved in the Paleoarchean (ca. 3.6-3.2 Ga) and are consistent with phosphate concentrations above modern levels ( > 3 µM). The first gene optimized for low phosphate levels (pstS; <1 µM) appeared around the same time or in the Mesoarchean depending on the reconstruction method. Most enzymatic pathways for metabolising reduced phosphorus emerged and expanded across the tree of life later. This includes phosphonate-catabolising CP-lyases, phosphite-oxidising pathways and hypophosphite-oxidising pathways. CP-lyases are particularly abundant in dissolved phosphate concentrations below 0.1 µM. Our results thus indicate at least local regions of declining phosphate levels through the Archean, possibly linked to phosphate-scavenging Fe(III), which may have limited productivity. However, reduced phosphorus species did not become widely used until after the Paleoproterozoic Great Oxidation Event (2.3 Ga), possibly linked to expansion of the biosphere at that time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne S Boden
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St. Andrews, Bute Building, Queen's terrace, St. Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom.
| | - Juntao Zhong
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rika E Anderson
- Department of Biology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA
| | - Eva E Stüeken
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St. Andrews, Bute Building, Queen's terrace, St. Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
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Steenwyk JL, King N. The promise and pitfalls of synteny in phylogenomics. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002632. [PMID: 38768403 PMCID: PMC11105162 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002632] [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] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Reconstructing the tree of life remains a central goal in biology. Early methods, which relied on small numbers of morphological or genetic characters, often yielded conflicting evolutionary histories, undermining confidence in the results. Investigations based on phylogenomics, which use hundreds to thousands of loci for phylogenetic inquiry, have provided a clearer picture of life's history, but certain branches remain problematic. To resolve difficult nodes on the tree of life, 2 recent studies tested the utility of synteny, the conserved collinearity of orthologous genetic loci in 2 or more organisms, for phylogenetics. Synteny exhibits compelling phylogenomic potential while also raising new challenges. This Essay identifies and discusses specific opportunities and challenges that bear on the value of synteny data and other rare genomic changes for phylogenomic studies. Synteny-based analyses of highly contiguous genome assemblies mark a new chapter in the phylogenomic era and the quest to reconstruct the tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob L. Steenwyk
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Nicole King
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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Zhu P, Hou J, Xiong Y, Xie R, Wang Y, Wang F. Expanded Archaeal Genomes Shed New Light on the Evolution of Isoprenoid Biosynthesis. Microorganisms 2024; 12:707. [PMID: 38674651 PMCID: PMC11052028 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Isoprenoids and their derivatives, essential for all cellular life on Earth, are particularly crucial in archaeal membrane lipids, suggesting that their biosynthesis pathways have ancient origins and play pivotal roles in the evolution of early life. Despite all eukaryotes, archaea, and a few bacterial lineages being known to exclusively use the mevalonate (MVA) pathway to synthesize isoprenoids, the origin and evolutionary trajectory of the MVA pathway remain controversial. Here, we conducted a thorough comparison and phylogenetic analysis of key enzymes across the four types of MVA pathway, with the particular inclusion of metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) from uncultivated archaea. Our findings support an archaeal origin of the MVA pathway, likely postdating the divergence of Bacteria and Archaea from the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA), thus implying the LUCA's enzymatic inability for isoprenoid biosynthesis. Notably, the Asgard archaea are implicated in playing central roles in the evolution of the MVA pathway, serving not only as putative ancestors of the eukaryote- and Thermoplasma-type routes, but also as crucial mediators in the gene transfer to eukaryotes, possibly during eukaryogenesis. Overall, this study advances our understanding of the origin and evolutionary history of the MVA pathway, providing unique insights into the lipid divide and the evolution of early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; (P.Z.); (J.H.); (Y.X.); (R.X.)
| | - Jialin Hou
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; (P.Z.); (J.H.); (Y.X.); (R.X.)
| | - Yixuan Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; (P.Z.); (J.H.); (Y.X.); (R.X.)
| | - Ruize Xie
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; (P.Z.); (J.H.); (Y.X.); (R.X.)
| | - Yinzhao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China;
| | - Fengping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; (P.Z.); (J.H.); (Y.X.); (R.X.)
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China;
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering, Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519080, China
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9
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Makarova KS, Tobiasson V, Wolf YI, Lu Z, Liu Y, Zhang S, Krupovic M, Li M, Koonin EV. Diversity, origin, and evolution of the ESCRT systems. mBio 2024; 15:e0033524. [PMID: 38380930 PMCID: PMC10936438 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00335-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) play key roles in protein sorting between membrane-bounded compartments of eukaryotic cells. Homologs of many ESCRT components are identifiable in various groups of archaea, especially in Asgardarchaeota, the archaeal phylum that is currently considered to include the closest relatives of eukaryotes, but not in bacteria. We performed a comprehensive search for ESCRT protein homologs in archaea and reconstructed ESCRT evolution using the phylogenetic tree of Vps4 ATPase (ESCRT IV) as a scaffold and using sensitive protein sequence analysis and comparison of structural models to identify previously unknown ESCRT proteins. Several distinct groups of ESCRT systems in archaea outside of Asgard were identified, including proteins structurally similar to ESCRT-I and ESCRT-II, and several other domains involved in protein sorting in eukaryotes, suggesting an early origin of these components. Additionally, distant homologs of CdvA proteins were identified in Thermoproteales which are likely components of the uncharacterized cell division system in these archaea. We propose an evolutionary scenario for the origin of eukaryotic and Asgard ESCRT complexes from ancestral building blocks, namely, the Vps4 ATPase, ESCRT-III components, wH (winged helix-turn-helix fold) and possibly also coiled-coil, and Vps28-like domains. The last archaeal common ancestor likely encompassed a complex ESCRT system that was involved in protein sorting. Subsequent evolution involved either simplification, as in the TACK superphylum, where ESCRT was co-opted for cell division, or complexification as in Asgardarchaeota. In Asgardarchaeota, the connection between ESCRT and the ubiquitin system that was previously considered a eukaryotic signature was already established.IMPORTANCEAll eukaryotic cells possess complex intracellular membrane organization. Endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) play a central role in membrane remodeling which is essential for cellular functionality in eukaryotes. Recently, it has been shown that Asgard archaea, the archaeal phylum that includes the closest known relatives of eukaryotes, encode homologs of many components of the ESCRT systems. We employed protein sequence and structure comparisons to reconstruct the evolution of ESCRT systems in archaea and identified several previously unknown homologs of ESCRT subunits, some of which can be predicted to participate in cell division. The results of this reconstruction indicate that the last archaeal common ancestor already encoded a complex ESCRT system that was involved in protein sorting. In Asgard archaea, ESCRT systems evolved toward greater complexity, and in particular, the connection between ESCRT and the ubiquitin system that was previously considered a eukaryotic signature was established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira S. Makarova
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Victor Tobiasson
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yuri I. Wolf
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Zhongyi Lu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Siyu Zhang
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mart Krupovic
- Archaeal Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Eugene V. Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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10
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Bernabeu M, Manzano-Morales S, Gabaldón T. On the impact of incomplete taxon sampling on the relative timing of gene transfer events. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002460. [PMID: 38498548 PMCID: PMC10947667 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002460] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
A recent study questioned the use of branch length methods to assess the relative timing of horizontal gene transfers because of the effects of so-called "ghost" lineages. This Formal Comment discusses key considerations regarding the potential effect of missing lineages when assessing relative timing of evolutionary events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moisès Bernabeu
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Saioa Manzano-Morales
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Barcelona, Spain
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11
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Harish A. Protein structures unravel the signatures and patterns of deep time evolution. QRB DISCOVERY 2024; 5:e3. [PMID: 38616890 PMCID: PMC11016368 DOI: 10.1017/qrd.2024.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The formulation and testing of hypotheses using 'big biology data' often lie at the interface of computational biology and structural biology. The Protein Data Bank (PDB), which was established about 50 years ago, catalogs three-dimensional (3D) shapes of organic macromolecules and showcases a structural view of biology. The comparative analysis of the structures of homologs, particularly of proteins, from different species has significantly improved the in-depth analyses of molecular and cell biological questions. In addition, computational tools that were developed to analyze the 'protein universe' are providing the means for efficient resolution of longstanding debates in cell and molecular evolution. In celebrating the golden jubilee of the PDB, much has been written about the transformative impact of PDB on a broad range of fields of scientific inquiry and how structural biology transformed the study of the fundamental processes of life. Yet, the transforming influence of PDB on one field of inquiry of fundamental interest-the reconstruction of the distant biological past-has gone almost unnoticed. Here, I discuss the recent advances to highlight how insights and tools of structural biology are bearing on the data required for the empirical resolution of vigorously debated and apparently contradicting hypotheses in evolutionary biology. Specifically, I show that evolutionary characters defined by protein structure are superior compared to conventional sequence characters for reliable, data-driven resolution of competing hypotheses about the origins of the major clades of life and evolutionary relationship among those clades. Since the better quality data unequivocally support two primary domains of life, it is imperative that the primary classification of life be revised accordingly.
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12
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Lu Z, Xia R, Zhang S, Pan J, Liu Y, Wolf YI, Koonin EV, Li M. Evolution of optimal growth temperature in Asgard archaea inferred from the temperature dependence of GDP binding to EF-1A. Nat Commun 2024; 15:515. [PMID: 38225278 PMCID: PMC10789797 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44806-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes apparently belonged to the phylum Asgardarchaeota, but the ecology and evolution of Asgard archaea are poorly understood. The optimal GDP-binding temperature of a translation elongation factor (EF-1A or EF-Tu) has been previously shown to correlate with the optimal growth temperature of diverse prokaryotes. Here, we reconstruct ancestral EF-1A sequences and experimentally measure the optimal GDP-binding temperature of EF-1A from ancient and extant Asgard archaea, to infer the evolution of optimal growth temperatures in Asgardarchaeota. Our results suggest that the Asgard ancestor of eukaryotes was a moderate thermophile, with an optimal growth temperature around 53 °C. The origin of eukaryotes appears to coincide with a transition from thermophilic to mesophilic lifestyle during the evolution of Asgard archaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyi Lu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Runyue Xia
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Siyu Zhang
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Jie Pan
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Yuri I Wolf
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
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13
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Novikova PV, Bhanu Busi S, Probst AJ, May P, Wilmes P. Functional prediction of proteins from the human gut archaeome. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycad014. [PMID: 38486809 PMCID: PMC10939349 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycad014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The human gastrointestinal tract contains diverse microbial communities, including archaea. Among them, Methanobrevibacter smithii represents a highly active and clinically relevant methanogenic archaeon, being involved in gastrointestinal disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease and obesity. Herein, we present an integrated approach using sequence and structure information to improve the annotation of M. smithii proteins using advanced protein structure prediction and annotation tools, such as AlphaFold2, trRosetta, ProFunc, and DeepFri. Of an initial set of 873 481 archaeal proteins, we found 707 754 proteins exclusively present in the human gut. Having analysed archaeal proteins together with 87 282 994 bacterial proteins, we identified unique archaeal proteins and archaeal-bacterial homologs. We then predicted and characterized functional domains and structures of 73 unique and homologous archaeal protein clusters linked the human gut and M. smithii. We refined annotations based on the predicted structures, extending existing sequence similarity-based annotations. We identified gut-specific archaeal proteins that may be involved in defense mechanisms, virulence, adhesion, and the degradation of toxic substances. Interestingly, we identified potential glycosyltransferases that could be associated with N-linked and O-glycosylation. Additionally, we found preliminary evidence for interdomain horizontal gene transfer between Clostridia species and M. smithii, which includes sporulation Stage V proteins AE and AD. Our study broadens the understanding of archaeal biology, particularly M. smithii, and highlights the importance of considering both sequence and structure for the prediction of protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina V Novikova
- Systems Ecology, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - Susheel Bhanu Busi
- Systems Ecology, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, OX10 8 BB, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander J Probst
- Environmental Metagenomics, Department of Chemistry, Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, for Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, University Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg 47057, Germany
| | - Patrick May
- Bioinformatics Core, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - Paul Wilmes
- Systems Ecology, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg
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14
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Steenwyk JL, Li Y, Zhou X, Shen XX, Rokas A. Incongruence in the phylogenomics era. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:834-850. [PMID: 37369847 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00620-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Genome-scale data and the development of novel statistical phylogenetic approaches have greatly aided the reconstruction of a broad sketch of the tree of life and resolved many of its branches. However, incongruence - the inference of conflicting evolutionary histories - remains pervasive in phylogenomic data, hampering our ability to reconstruct and interpret the tree of life. Biological factors, such as incomplete lineage sorting, horizontal gene transfer, hybridization, introgression, recombination and convergent molecular evolution, can lead to gene phylogenies that differ from the species tree. In addition, analytical factors, including stochastic, systematic and treatment errors, can drive incongruence. Here, we review these factors, discuss methodological advances to identify and handle incongruence, and highlight avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob L Steenwyk
- Howards Hughes Medical Institute and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yuanning Li
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiaofan Zhou
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xing-Xing Shen
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany.
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15
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Siebieszuk A, Sejbuk M, Witkowska AM. Studying the Human Microbiota: Advances in Understanding the Fundamentals, Origin, and Evolution of Biological Timekeeping. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16169. [PMID: 38003359 PMCID: PMC10671191 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The recently observed circadian oscillations of the intestinal microbiota underscore the profound nature of the human-microbiome relationship and its importance for health. Together with the discovery of circadian clocks in non-photosynthetic gut bacteria and circadian rhythms in anucleated cells, these findings have indicated the possibility that virtually all microorganisms may possess functional biological clocks. However, they have also raised many essential questions concerning the fundamentals of biological timekeeping, its evolution, and its origin. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent literature in molecular chronobiology, aiming to bring together the latest evidence on the structure and mechanisms driving microbial biological clocks while pointing to potential applications of this knowledge in medicine. Moreover, it discusses the latest hypotheses regarding the evolution of timing mechanisms and describes the functions of peroxiredoxins in cells and their contribution to the cellular clockwork. The diversity of biological clocks among various human-associated microorganisms and the role of transcriptional and post-translational timekeeping mechanisms are also addressed. Finally, recent evidence on metabolic oscillators and host-microbiome communication is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Siebieszuk
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, Mickiewicza 2C, 15-222 Białystok, Poland;
| | - Monika Sejbuk
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Bialystok, Szpitalna 37, 15-295 Białystok, Poland;
| | - Anna Maria Witkowska
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Bialystok, Szpitalna 37, 15-295 Białystok, Poland;
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16
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Kapli P, Kotari I, Telford MJ, Goldman N, Yang Z. DNA Sequences Are as Useful as Protein Sequences for Inferring Deep Phylogenies. Syst Biol 2023; 72:1119-1135. [PMID: 37366056 PMCID: PMC10627555 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Inference of deep phylogenies has almost exclusively used protein rather than DNA sequences based on the perception that protein sequences are less prone to homoplasy and saturation or to issues of compositional heterogeneity than DNA sequences. Here, we analyze a model of codon evolution under an idealized genetic code and demonstrate that those perceptions may be misconceptions. We conduct a simulation study to assess the utility of protein versus DNA sequences for inferring deep phylogenies, with protein-coding data generated under models of heterogeneous substitution processes across sites in the sequence and among lineages on the tree, and then analyzed using nucleotide, amino acid, and codon models. Analysis of DNA sequences under nucleotide-substitution models (possibly with the third codon positions excluded) recovered the correct tree at least as often as analysis of the corresponding protein sequences under modern amino acid models. We also applied the different data-analysis strategies to an empirical dataset to infer the metazoan phylogeny. Our results from both simulated and real data suggest that DNA sequences may be as useful as proteins for inferring deep phylogenies and should not be excluded from such analyses. Analysis of DNA data under nucleotide models has a major computational advantage over protein-data analysis, potentially making it feasible to use advanced models that account for among-site and among-lineage heterogeneity in the nucleotide-substitution process in inference of deep phylogenies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paschalia Kapli
- Department of Genetics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ioanna Kotari
- Department of Genetics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Institut für Populationsgenetik, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, 1210, Austria
| | - Maximilian J Telford
- Department of Genetics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nick Goldman
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory - European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Ziheng Yang
- Department of Genetics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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17
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Tirumalai MR, Sivaraman RV, Kutty LA, Song EL, Fox GE. Ribosomal Protein Cluster Organization in Asgard Archaea. ARCHAEA (VANCOUVER, B.C.) 2023; 2023:5512414. [PMID: 38314098 PMCID: PMC10833476 DOI: 10.1155/2023/5512414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
It has been proposed that the superphylum of Asgard Archaea may represent a historical link between the Archaea and Eukarya. Following the discovery of the Archaea, it was soon appreciated that archaeal ribosomes were more similar to those of Eukarya rather than Bacteria. Coupled with other eukaryotic-like features, it has been suggested that the Asgard Archaea may be directly linked to eukaryotes. However, the genomes of Bacteria and non-Asgard Archaea generally organize ribosome-related genes into clusters that likely function as operons. In contrast, eukaryotes typically do not employ an operon strategy. To gain further insight into conservation of the r-protein genes, the genome order of conserved ribosomal protein (r-protein) coding genes was identified in 17 Asgard genomes (thirteen complete genomes and four genomes with less than 20 contigs) and compared with those found previously in non-Asgard archaeal and bacterial genomes. A universal core of two clusters of 14 and 4 cooccurring r-proteins, respectively, was identified in both the Asgard and non-Asgard Archaea. The equivalent genes in the E. coli version of the cluster are found in the S10 and spc operons. The large cluster of 14 r-protein genes (uS19-uL22-uS3-uL29-uS17 from the S10 operon and uL14-uL24-uL5-uS14-uS8-uL6-uL18-uS5-uL30-uL15 from the spc operon) occurs as a complete set in the genomes of thirteen Asgard genomes (five Lokiarchaeotes, three Heimdallarchaeotes, one Odinarchaeote, and four Thorarchaeotes). Four less conserved clusters with partial bacterial equivalents were found in the Asgard. These were the L30e (str operon in Bacteria) cluster, the L18e (alpha operon in Bacteria) cluster, the S24e-S27ae-rpoE1 cluster, and the L31e, L12..L1 cluster. Finally, a new cluster referred to as L7ae was identified. In many cases, r-protein gene clusters/operons are less conserved in their organization in the Asgard group than in other Archaea. If this is generally true for nonribosomal gene clusters, the results may have implications for the history of genome organization. In particular, there may have been an early transition to or from the operon approach to genome organization. Other nonribosomal cellular features may support different relationships. For this reason, it may be important to consider ribosome features separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhan R. Tirumalai
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5001, USA
| | | | | | | | - George E. Fox
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5001, USA
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18
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Donoghue PCJ, Kay C, Spang A, Szöllősi G, Nenarokova A, Moody ERR, Pisani D, Williams TA. Defining eukaryotes to dissect eukaryogenesis. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R919-R929. [PMID: 37699353 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.048] [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] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
The origin of eukaryotes is among the most contentious debates in evolutionary biology, attracting multiple seemingly incompatible theories seeking to explain the sequence in which eukaryotic characteristics were acquired. Much of the controversy arises from differing views on the defining characteristics of eukaryotes. We argue that eukaryotes should be defined phylogenetically, and that doing so clarifies where competing hypotheses of eukaryogenesis agree and how we may test among aspects of disagreement. Some hypotheses make predictions about the phylogenetic origins of eukaryotic genes and are distinguishable on that basis. However, other hypotheses differ only in the order of key evolutionary steps, like mitochondrial endosymbiosis and nuclear assembly, which cannot currently be distinguished phylogenetically. Stages within eukaryogenesis may be made identifiable through the absolute dating of gene duplicates that map to eukaryotic traits, such as in genes of host or mitochondrial origin that duplicated and diverged functionally prior to emergence of the last eukaryotic common ancestor. In this way, it may finally be possible to distinguish heat from light in the debate over eukaryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip C J Donoghue
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
| | - Chris Kay
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Anja Spang
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, Den Burg 1790 AB, The Netherlands
| | - Gergely Szöllősi
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös Lorand University, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; MTA-ELTE "Lendü let" Evolutionary Genomics Research Group, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Evolution, Centre for Ecological Research, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anna Nenarokova
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Edmund R R Moody
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Davide Pisani
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK; Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
| | - Tom A Williams
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
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19
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Li YD, Engel MS, Tihelka E, Cai C. Phylogenomics of weevils revisited: data curation and modelling compositional heterogeneity. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230307. [PMID: 37727076 PMCID: PMC10509570 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Weevils represent one of the most prolific radiations of beetles and the most diverse group of herbivores on land. The phylogeny of weevils (Curculionoidea) has received extensive attention, and a largely satisfactory framework for their interfamilial relationships has been established. However, a recent phylogenomic study of Curculionoidea based on anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) data yielded an abnormal placement for the family Belidae (strongly supported as sister to Nemonychidae + Anthribidae). Here we reanalyse the genome-scale AHE data for Curculionoidea using various models of molecular evolution and data filtering methods to mitigate anticipated systematic errors and reduce compositional heterogeneity. When analysed with the infinite mixture model CAT-GTR or using appropriately filtered datasets, Belidae are always recovered as sister to the clade (Attelabidae, (Caridae, (Brentidae, Curculionidae))), which is congruent with studies based on morphology and other sources of molecular data. Although the relationships of the 'higher Curculionidae' remain challenging to resolve, we provide a consistent and robust backbone phylogeny of weevils. Our extensive analyses emphasize the significance of data curation and modelling across-site compositional heterogeneity in phylogenomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Da Li
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Michael S. Engel
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA
| | - Erik Tihelka
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Chenyang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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20
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Szánthó LL, Lartillot N, Szöllősi GJ, Schrempf D. Compositionally Constrained Sites Drive Long-Branch Attraction. Syst Biol 2023; 72:767-780. [PMID: 36946562 PMCID: PMC10405358 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad013] [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: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate phylogenies are fundamental to our understanding of the pattern and process of evolution. Yet, phylogenies at deep evolutionary timescales, with correspondingly long branches, have been fraught with controversy resulting from conflicting estimates from models with varying complexity and goodness of fit. Analyses of historical as well as current empirical datasets, such as alignments including Microsporidia, Nematoda, or Platyhelminthes, have demonstrated that inadequate modeling of across-site compositional heterogeneity, which is the result of biochemical constraints that lead to varying patterns of accepted amino acids along sequences, can lead to erroneous topologies that are strongly supported. Unfortunately, models that adequately account for across-site compositional heterogeneity remain computationally challenging or intractable for an increasing fraction of contemporary datasets. Here, we introduce "compositional constraint analysis," a method to investigate the effect of site-specific constraints on amino acid composition on phylogenetic inference. We show that more constrained sites with lower diversity and less constrained sites with higher diversity exhibit ostensibly conflicting signals under models ignoring across-site compositional heterogeneity that lead to long-branch attraction artifacts and demonstrate that more complex models accounting for across-site compositional heterogeneity can ameliorate this bias. We present CAT-posterior mean site frequencies (PMSF), a pipeline for diagnosing and resolving phylogenetic bias resulting from inadequate modeling of across-site compositional heterogeneity based on the CAT model. CAT-PMSF is robust against long-branch attraction in all alignments we have examined. We suggest using CAT-PMSF when convergence of the CAT model cannot be assured. We find evidence that compositionally constrained sites are driving long-branch attraction in two metazoan datasets and recover evidence for Porifera as the sister group to all other animals. [Animal phylogeny; cross-site heterogeneity; long-branch attraction; phylogenomics.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Lénárd L Szánthó
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös University, Budapest, Hungary
- ELTE-MTA “Lendület” Evolutionary Genomics Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Evolution, Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nicolas Lartillot
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, CNRS, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Gergely J Szöllősi
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös University, Budapest, Hungary
- ELTE-MTA “Lendület” Evolutionary Genomics Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Evolution, Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dominik Schrempf
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös University, Budapest, Hungary
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21
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Mateos K, Chappell G, Klos A, Le B, Boden J, Stüeken E, Anderson R. The evolution and spread of sulfur cycling enzymes reflect the redox state of the early Earth. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade4847. [PMID: 37418533 PMCID: PMC10328410 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade4847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
The biogeochemical sulfur cycle plays a central role in fueling microbial metabolisms, regulating the Earth's redox state, and affecting climate. However, geochemical reconstructions of the ancient sulfur cycle are confounded by ambiguous isotopic signals. We use phylogenetic reconciliation to ascertain the timing of ancient sulfur cycling gene events across the tree of life. Our results suggest that metabolisms using sulfide oxidation emerged in the Archean, but those involving thiosulfate emerged only after the Great Oxidation Event. Our data reveal that observed geochemical signatures resulted not from the expansion of a single type of organism but were instead associated with genomic innovation across the biosphere. Moreover, our results provide the first indication of organic sulfur cycling from the Mid-Proterozoic onwards, with implications for climate regulation and atmospheric biosignatures. Overall, our results provide insights into how the biological sulfur cycle evolved in tandem with the redox state of the early Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Mateos
- Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Garrett Chappell
- Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Aya Klos
- Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA
| | - Bryan Le
- Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA
| | - Joanne Boden
- University of St. Andrews, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Bute Building, Queen’s Terrace, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TS, UK
| | - Eva Stüeken
- University of St. Andrews, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Bute Building, Queen’s Terrace, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TS, UK
| | - Rika Anderson
- Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA
- NASA NExSS Virtual Planetary Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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22
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Řezanka T, Kyselová L, Murphy DJ. Archaeal lipids. Prog Lipid Res 2023; 91:101237. [PMID: 37236370 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2023.101237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The major archaeal membrane glycerolipids are distinguished from those of bacteria and eukaryotes by the contrasting stereochemistry of their glycerol backbones, and by the use of ether-linked isoprenoid-based alkyl chains rather than ester-linked fatty acyl chains for their hydrophobic moieties. These fascinating compounds play important roles in the extremophile lifestyles of many species, but are also present in the growing numbers of recently discovered mesophilic archaea. The past decade has witnessed significant advances in our understanding of archaea in general and their lipids in particular. Much of the new information has come from the ability to screen large microbial populations via environmental metagenomics, which has revolutionised our understanding of the extent of archaeal biodiversity that is coupled with a strict conservation of their membrane lipid compositions. Significant additional progress has come from new culturing and analytical techniques that are gradually enabling archaeal physiology and biochemistry to be studied in real time. These studies are beginning to shed light on the much-discussed and still-controversial process of eukaryogenesis, which probably involved both bacterial and archaeal progenitors. Puzzlingly, although eukaryotes retain many attributes of their putative archaeal ancestors, their lipid compositions only reflect their bacterial progenitors. Finally, elucidation of archaeal lipids and their metabolic pathways have revealed potentially interesting applications that have opened up new frontiers for biotechnological exploitation of these organisms. This review is concerned with the analysis, structure, function, evolution and biotechnology of archaeal lipids and their associated metabolic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Řezanka
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 142 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Kyselová
- Research Institute of Brewing and Malting, Lípová 511, 120 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Denis J Murphy
- School of Applied Sciences, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, CF37 1DL, United Kingdom.
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23
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Padilla-Vaca F, de la Mora J, García-Contreras R, Ramírez-Prado JH, Alva-Murillo N, Fonseca-Yepez S, Serna-Gutiérrez I, Moreno-Galván CL, Montufar-Rodríguez JM, Vicente-Gómez M, Rangel-Serrano Á, Vargas-Maya NI, Franco B. Two-Component System Sensor Kinases from Asgardian Archaea May Be Witnesses to Eukaryotic Cell Evolution. Molecules 2023; 28:5042. [PMID: 37446705 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28135042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The signal transduction paradigm in bacteria involves two-component systems (TCSs). Asgardarchaeota are archaea that may have originated the current eukaryotic lifeforms. Most research on these archaea has focused on eukaryotic-like features, such as genes involved in phagocytosis, cytoskeleton structure, and vesicle trafficking. However, little attention has been given to specific prokaryotic features. Here, the sequence and predicted structural features of TCS sensor kinases analyzed from two metagenome assemblies and a genomic assembly from cultured Asgardian archaea are presented. The homology of the sensor kinases suggests the grouping of Lokiarchaeum closer to bacterial homologs. In contrast, one group from a Lokiarchaeum and a meta-genome assembly from Candidatus Heimdallarchaeum suggest the presence of a set of kinases separated from the typical bacterial TCS sensor kinases. AtoS and ArcB homologs were found in meta-genome assemblies along with defined domains for other well-characterized sensor kinases, suggesting the close link between these organisms and bacteria that may have resulted in the metabolic link to the establishment of symbiosis. Several kinases are predicted to be cytoplasmic; some contain several PAS domains. The data shown here suggest that TCS kinases in Asgardian bacteria are witnesses to the transition from bacteria to eukaryotic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Padilla-Vaca
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato 36050, Mexico
| | - Javier de la Mora
- Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiologia Celular, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Exterior s/n, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Rodolfo García-Contreras
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | | | - Nayeli Alva-Murillo
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato 36050, Mexico
| | - Sofia Fonseca-Yepez
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato 36050, Mexico
| | - Isaac Serna-Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato 36050, Mexico
| | - Carolina Lisette Moreno-Galván
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato 36050, Mexico
| | - José Manolo Montufar-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato 36050, Mexico
| | - Marcos Vicente-Gómez
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato 36050, Mexico
| | - Ángeles Rangel-Serrano
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato 36050, Mexico
| | - Naurú Idalia Vargas-Maya
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato 36050, Mexico
| | - Bernardo Franco
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato 36050, Mexico
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24
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Eme L, Tamarit D, Caceres EF, Stairs CW, De Anda V, Schön ME, Seitz KW, Dombrowski N, Lewis WH, Homa F, Saw JH, Lombard J, Nunoura T, Li WJ, Hua ZS, Chen LX, Banfield JF, John ES, Reysenbach AL, Stott MB, Schramm A, Kjeldsen KU, Teske AP, Baker BJ, Ettema TJG. Inference and reconstruction of the heimdallarchaeial ancestry of eukaryotes. Nature 2023; 618:992-999. [PMID: 37316666 PMCID: PMC10307638 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06186-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In the ongoing debates about eukaryogenesis-the series of evolutionary events leading to the emergence of the eukaryotic cell from prokaryotic ancestors-members of the Asgard archaea play a key part as the closest archaeal relatives of eukaryotes1. However, the nature and phylogenetic identity of the last common ancestor of Asgard archaea and eukaryotes remain unresolved2-4. Here we analyse distinct phylogenetic marker datasets of an expanded genomic sampling of Asgard archaea and evaluate competing evolutionary scenarios using state-of-the-art phylogenomic approaches. We find that eukaryotes are placed, with high confidence, as a well-nested clade within Asgard archaea and as a sister lineage to Hodarchaeales, a newly proposed order within Heimdallarchaeia. Using sophisticated gene tree and species tree reconciliation approaches, we show that analogous to the evolution of eukaryotic genomes, genome evolution in Asgard archaea involved significantly more gene duplication and fewer gene loss events compared with other archaea. Finally, we infer that the last common ancestor of Asgard archaea was probably a thermophilic chemolithotroph and that the lineage from which eukaryotes evolved adapted to mesophilic conditions and acquired the genetic potential to support a heterotrophic lifestyle. Our work provides key insights into the prokaryote-to-eukaryote transition and a platform for better understanding the emergence of cellular complexity in eukaryotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Eme
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Laboratoire Écologie, Systématique, Évolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Daniel Tamarit
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Eva F Caceres
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Courtney W Stairs
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Valerie De Anda
- Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas Austin, Port Aransas, TX, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Max E Schön
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kiley W Seitz
- Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas Austin, Port Aransas, TX, USA
- Structural and Computational Biology, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nina Dombrowski
- Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas Austin, Port Aransas, TX, USA
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, AB Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - William H Lewis
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Felix Homa
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jimmy H Saw
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jonathan Lombard
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Takuro Nunoura
- Research Center for Bioscience and Nanoscience (CeBN), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Zheng-Shuang Hua
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - Lin-Xing Chen
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jillian F Banfield
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Emily St John
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Matthew B Stott
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Andreas Schramm
- Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kasper U Kjeldsen
- Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Andreas P Teske
- Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Brett J Baker
- Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas Austin, Port Aransas, TX, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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25
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López-García P, Moreira D. The symbiotic origin of the eukaryotic cell. C R Biol 2023; 346:55-73. [PMID: 37254790 DOI: 10.5802/crbiol.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryogenesis represented a major evolutionary transition that led to the emergence of complex cells from simpler ancestors. For several decades, the most accepted scenario involved the evolution of an independent lineage of proto-eukaryotes endowed with an endomembrane system, including a nuclear compartment, a developed cytoskeleton and phagocytosis, which engulfed the alphaproteobacterial ancestor of mitochondria. However, the recent discovery by metagenomic and cultural approaches of Asgard archaea, which harbour many genes in common with eukaryotes and are their closest relatives in phylogenomic trees, rather supports scenarios based on the symbiosis of one Asgard-like archaeon and one or more bacteria at the origin of the eukaryotic cell. Here, we review the recent discoveries that led to this conceptual shift, briefly evoking current models of eukaryogenesis and the challenges ahead to discriminate between them and to establish a detailed, plausible scenario that accounts for the evolution of eukaryotic traits from those of their prokaryotic ancestors.
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26
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Sendra KM, Barwinska-Sendra A, Mackenzie ES, Baslé A, Kehl-Fie TE, Waldron KJ. An ancient metalloenzyme evolves through metal preference modulation. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:732-744. [PMID: 37037909 PMCID: PMC10172142 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02012-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Evolution creates functional diversity of proteins, the essential building blocks of all biological systems. However, studies of natural proteins sampled across the tree of life and evaluated in a single experimental system are lacking. Almost half of enzymes require metals, and metalloproteins tend to optimally utilize the physicochemical properties of a specific metal co-factor. Life must adapt to changes in metal bioavailability, including those during the transition from anoxic to oxic Earth or pathogens' exposure to nutritional immunity. These changes can challenge the ability of metalloenzymes to maintain activity, presumptively driving their evolution. Here we studied metal-preference evolution within the natural diversity of the iron/manganese superoxide dismutase (SodFM) family of reactive oxygen species scavengers. We identified and experimentally verified residues with conserved roles in determining metal preference that, when combined with an understanding of the protein's evolutionary history, improved prediction of metal utilization across the five SodFM subfamilies defined herein. By combining phylogenetics, biochemistry and structural biology, we demonstrate that SodFM metal utilization can be evolutionarily fine tuned by sliding along a scale between perfect manganese and iron specificities. Over the history of life, SodFM metal preference has been modulated multiple independent times within different evolutionary and ecological contexts, and can be changed within short evolutionary timeframes.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Sendra
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
| | - A Barwinska-Sendra
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - E S Mackenzie
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - A Baslé
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - T E Kehl-Fie
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
| | - K J Waldron
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
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27
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van der Gulik PTS, Hoff WD, Speijer D. Renewing Linnaean taxonomy: a proposal to restructure the highest levels of the Natural System. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:584-602. [PMID: 36366773 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
During the last century enormous progress has been made in the understanding of biological diversity, involving a dramatic shift from macroscopic to microscopic organisms. The question now arises as to whether the Natural System introduced by Carl Linnaeus, which has served as the central system for organizing biological diversity, can accommodate the great expansion of diversity that has been discovered. Important discoveries regarding biological diversity have not been fully integrated into a formal, coherent taxonomic system. In addition, because of taxonomic challenges and conflicts, various proposals have been made to abandon key aspects of the Linnaean system. We review the current status of taxonomy of the living world, focussing on groups at the taxonomic level of phylum and above. We summarize the main arguments against and in favour of abandoning aspects of the Linnaean system. Based on these considerations, we conclude that retaining the Linnaean Natural System provides important advantages. We propose a relatively small number of amendments for extending this system, particularly to include the named rank of world (Latin alternative mundis) formally to include non-cellular entities (viruses), and the named rank of empire (Latin alternative imperium) to accommodate the depth of diversity in (unicellular) eukaryotes that has been uncovered. We argue that in the case of both the eukaryotic domain and the viruses the cladistic approach intrinsically fails. However, the resulting semi-cladistic system provides a productive way forward that can help resolve taxonomic challenges. The amendments proposed allow us to: (i) retain named taxonomic levels and the three-domain system, (ii) improve understanding of the main eukaryotic lineages, and (iii) incorporate viruses into the Natural System. Of note, the proposal described herein is intended to serve as the starting point for a broad scientific discussion regarding the modernization of the Linnaean system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wouter D Hoff
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and Department of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - David Speijer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, AmsterdamUMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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28
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Rao YZ, Li YX, Li ZW, Qu YN, Qi YL, Jiao JY, Shu WS, Hua ZS, Li WJ. Metagenomic Discovery of " Candidatus Parvarchaeales"-Related Lineages Sheds Light on Adaptation and Diversification from Neutral-Thermal to Acidic-Mesothermal Environments. mSystems 2023; 8:e0125222. [PMID: 36943058 PMCID: PMC10134863 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01252-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
"Candidatus Parvarchaeales" microbes, representing a DPANN archaeal group with limited metabolic potential and reliance on hosts for their growth, were initially found in acid mine drainage (AMD). Due to the lack of representatives, however, their ecological roles and adaptation to extreme habitats such as AMD as well as how they diverge across the lineage remain largely unexplored. By applying genome-resolved metagenomics, 28 Parvarchaeales-associated metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) representing two orders and five genera were recovered. Among them, we identified three new genera and proposed the names "Candidatus Jingweiarchaeum," "Candidatus Haiyanarchaeum," and "Candidatus Rehaiarchaeum," with the former two belonging to a new order, "Candidatus Jingweiarchaeales." Further analyses of the metabolic potentials revealed substantial niche differentiation between Jingweiarchaeales and Parvarchaeales. Jingweiarchaeales may rely on fermentation, salvage pathways, partial glycolysis, and the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) for energy conservation reservation, while the metabolic potentials of Parvarchaeales might be more versatile. Comparative genomic analyses suggested that Jingweiarchaeales favor habitats with higher temperatures and that Parvarchaeales are better adapted to acidic environments. We further revealed that the thermal adaptation of these lineages, especially Haiyanarchaeum, might rely on genomic features such as the usage of specific amino acids, genome streamlining, and hyperthermophile featured genes such as rgy. Notably, the adaptation of Parvarchaeales to acidic environments was possibly driven by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). The reconstruction of ancestral states demonstrated that both may have originated from thermal and neutral environments and later spread to mesothermal and acidic environments. These evolutionary processes may also be accompanied by adaptation to oxygen-rich environments via HGT. IMPORTANCE "Candidatus Parvarchaeales" microbes may represent a lineage uniquely distributed in extreme environments such as AMD and hot springs. However, little is known about the strategies and processes of how they adapted to these extreme environments. By the discovery of potential new order-level lineages, "Ca. Jingweiarchaeales," and in-depth comparative genomic analysis, we unveiled the functional differentiation of these lineages. Furthermore, we show that the adaptation of these lineages to high-temperature and acidic environments was driven by different strategies, with the former relying more on genomic characteristics such as genome streamlining and amino acid compositions and the latter relying more on the acquisition of genes associated with acid tolerance. Finally, by the reconstruction of the ancestral states of the optimal growth temperature (OGT) and isoelectric point (pI), we showed the potential evolutionary process of Parvarchaeales-related lineages with regard to the shift from the high-temperature environment of their common ancestors to low-temperature (potentially acidic) environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang-Zhi Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Xian Li
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ze-Wei Li
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan-Ni Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan-Ling Qi
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Yu Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Sheng Shu
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng-Shuang Hua
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, People's Republic of China
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29
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Bacterial origins of thymidylate metabolism in Asgard archaea and Eukarya. Nat Commun 2023; 14:838. [PMID: 36792581 PMCID: PMC9931769 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36487-z] [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: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Asgard archaea include the closest known archaeal relatives of eukaryotes. Here, we investigate the evolution and function of Asgard thymidylate synthases and other folate-dependent enzymes required for the biosynthesis of DNA, RNA, amino acids and vitamins, as well as syntrophic amino acid utilization. Phylogenies of Asgard folate-dependent enzymes are consistent with their horizontal transmission from various bacterial groups. We experimentally validate the functionality of thymidylate synthase ThyX of the cultured 'Candidatus Prometheoarchaeum syntrophicum'. The enzyme efficiently uses bacterial-like folates and is inhibited by mycobacterial ThyX inhibitors, even though the majority of experimentally tested archaea are known to use carbon carriers distinct from bacterial folates. Our phylogenetic analyses suggest that the eukaryotic thymidylate synthase, required for de novo DNA synthesis, is not closely related to archaeal enzymes and might have been transferred from bacteria to protoeukaryotes during eukaryogenesis. Altogether, our study suggests that the capacity of eukaryotic cells to duplicate their genetic material is a sum of archaeal (replisome) and bacterial (thymidylate synthase) characteristics. We also propose that recent prevalent lateral gene transfer from bacteria has markedly shaped the metabolism of Asgard archaea.
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30
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The Structure of Evolutionary Model Space for Proteins across the Tree of Life. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020282. [PMID: 36829559 PMCID: PMC9952988 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
The factors that determine the relative rates of amino acid substitution during protein evolution are complex and known to vary among taxa. We estimated relative exchangeabilities for pairs of amino acids from clades spread across the tree of life and assessed the historical signal in the distances among these clade-specific models. We separately trained these models on collections of arbitrarily selected protein alignments and on ribosomal protein alignments. In both cases, we found a clear separation between the models trained using multiple sequence alignments from bacterial clades and the models trained on archaeal and eukaryotic data. We assessed the predictive power of our novel clade-specific models of sequence evolution by asking whether fit to the models could be used to identify the source of multiple sequence alignments. Model fit was generally able to correctly classify protein alignments at the level of domain (bacterial versus archaeal), but the accuracy of classification at finer scales was much lower. The only exceptions to this were the relatively high classification accuracy for two archaeal lineages: Halobacteriaceae and Thermoprotei. Genomic GC content had a modest impact on relative exchangeabilities despite having a large impact on amino acid frequencies. Relative exchangeabilities involving aromatic residues exhibited the largest differences among models. There were a small number of exchangeabilities that exhibited large differences in comparisons among major clades and between generalized models and ribosomal protein models. Taken as a whole, these results reveal that a small number of relative exchangeabilities are responsible for much of the structure of the "model space" for protein sequence evolution. The clade-specific models we generated may be useful tools for protein phylogenetics, and the structure of evolutionary model space that they revealed has implications for phylogenomic inference across the tree of life.
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31
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Collier JJ, Oláhová M, McWilliams TG, Taylor RW. Mitochondrial signalling and homeostasis: from cell biology to neurological disease. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:137-152. [PMID: 36635110 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Efforts to understand how mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to neurodegeneration have primarily focussed on the role of mitochondria in neuronal energy metabolism. However, progress in understanding the etiological nature of emerging mitochondrial functions has yielded new ideas about the mitochondrial basis of neurological disease. Studies aimed at deciphering how mitochondria signal through interorganellar contacts, vesicular trafficking, and metabolic transmission have revealed that mitochondrial regulation of immunometabolism, cell death, organelle dynamics, and neuroimmune interplay are critical determinants of neural health. Moreover, the homeostatic mechanisms that exist to protect mitochondrial health through turnover via nanoscale proteostasis and lysosomal degradation have become integrated within mitochondrial signalling pathways to support metabolic plasticity and stress responses in the nervous system. This review highlights how these distinct mitochondrial pathways converge to influence neurological health and contribute to disease pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack J Collier
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Monika Oláhová
- Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Thomas G McWilliams
- Translational Stem Cell Biology & Metabolism Program, Research Programs Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Robert W Taylor
- Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; NHS Highly Specialised Service for Rare Mitochondrial Disorders of Adults and Children, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
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32
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Hariharan N, Ghosh S, Palakodeti D. The story of rRNA expansion segments: Finding functionality amidst diversity. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1732. [PMID: 35429135 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Expansion segments (ESs) are multinucleotide insertions present across phyla at specific conserved positions in eukaryotic rRNAs. ESs are generally absent in bacterial rRNAs with some exceptions, while the archaeal rRNAs have microexpansions at regions that coincide with those of eukaryotic ESs. Although there is an increasing prominence of ribosomes, especially the ribosomal proteins, in fine-tuning gene expression through translation regulation, the role of rRNA ESs is relatively underexplored. While rRNAs have been established as the major catalytic hub in ribosome function, the presence of ESs widens their scope as a species-specific regulatory hub of protein synthesis. In this comprehensive review, we have elaborately discussed the current understanding of the functional aspects of rRNA ESs of cytoplasmic eukaryotic ribosomes and discuss their past, present, and future. This article is categorized under: RNA Structure and Dynamics > Influence of RNA Structure in Biological Systems Translation > Ribosome Structure/Function Translation > Regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nivedita Hariharan
- Technologies for the Advancement of Science, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, India.,The University of Trans-disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, Bangalore, India
| | - Sumana Ghosh
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Dasaradhi Palakodeti
- Technologies for the Advancement of Science, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, India
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33
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Morel B, Williams TA, Stamatakis A. Asteroid: a new algorithm to infer species trees from gene trees under high proportions of missing data. Bioinformatics 2022; 39:6964379. [PMID: 36576010 PMCID: PMC9838317 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btac832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Missing data and incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) are two major obstacles to accurate species tree inference. Gene tree summary methods such as ASTRAL and ASTRID have been developed to account for ILS. However, they can be severely affected by high levels of missing data. RESULTS We present Asteroid, a novel algorithm that infers an unrooted species tree from a set of unrooted gene trees. We show on both empirical and simulated datasets that Asteroid is substantially more accurate than ASTRAL and ASTRID for very high proportions (>80%) of missing data. Asteroid is several orders of magnitude faster than ASTRAL for datasets that contain thousands of genes. It offers advanced features such as parallelization, support value computation and support for multi-copy and multifurcating gene trees. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Asteroid is freely available at https://github.com/BenoitMorel/Asteroid. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tom A Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8, UK
| | - Alexandros Stamatakis
- Computational Molecular Evolution Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg 69118, Germany,Institute for Theoretical Informatics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany
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34
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Spang A. Is an archaeon the ancestor of eukaryotes? Environ Microbiol 2022; 25:775-779. [PMID: 36562617 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The origin of complex cellular life is a key puzzle in evolutionary research, which has broad implications for various neighbouring scientific disciplines. Naturally, views on this topic vary widely depending on the world view and context from which this topic is approached. In the following, I will share my perspective about our current scientific knowledge on the origin of eukaryotic cells, that is, eukaryogenesis, from a biological point of view focusing on the question as to whether an archaeon was the ancestor of eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Spang
- NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Utrecht University, AB Den Burg, The Netherlands.,Department of Evolutionary & Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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35
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Zhang D, Niu ZQ, Luo AR, Orr MC, Ferrari RR, Jin JF, Wu QT, Zhang F, Zhu CD. Testing the systematic status of Homalictus and Rostrohalictus with weakened cross-vein groups within Halictini (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) using low-coverage whole-genome sequencing. INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 29:1819-1833. [PMID: 35289982 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The halictid genus Lasioglossum, as one of the most species-rich bee groups with persistently contentious subgeneric boundaries, is one of the most challenging bee groups from a systematic standpoint. An enduring question is the relationship of Lasioglossum and Homalictus, whether all halictine bees with weakened distal wing venation comprise one or multiple genera. Here, we analyzed the phylogenetic relationships among the subgroups within Lasioglossum s.l. based on thousands of single-copy orthologs and ultraconserved elements, which were extracted from 23 newly sequenced low-coverage whole genomes alongside a published genome (22 ingroups plus 2 outgroups). Both marker sets provided consistent results across maximum likelihood and coalescent-based species tree approaches. The phylogenetic and topology test results show that the Lasioglossum and Hemihalictus series are reciprocally monophyletic and Homalictus and Rostrohalictus are valid subgenera of Lasioglossum. Consequently, we lower Homalictus to subgenus status within Lasioglossum again, and we also raise Rostrohalictus to subgenus status from its prior synonymy with subgenus Hemihalictus. Lasioglossum przewalskyi is also transferred to the subgenus Hemihalictus. Ultimately, we redefine Lasioglossum to include all halictine bees with weakened distal wing venation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ze-Qing Niu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - A-Rong Luo
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Michael C Orr
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rafael R Ferrari
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian-Feng Jin
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qing-Tao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chao-Dong Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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36
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Embley TM. It Took Me a While to Figure out What Science I Really Wanted to Do. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6799702. [PMID: 36332002 PMCID: PMC9635634 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- T Martin Embley
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University , England NE24HH , United Kingdom
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37
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Lozano-Fernandez J. A Practical Guide to Design and Assess a Phylogenomic Study. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:evac129. [PMID: 35946263 PMCID: PMC9452790 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, molecular systematics has undergone a change of paradigm as high-throughput sequencing now makes it possible to reconstruct evolutionary relationships using genome-scale datasets. The advent of "big data" molecular phylogenetics provided a battery of new tools for biologists but simultaneously brought new methodological challenges. The increase in analytical complexity comes at the price of highly specific training in computational biology and molecular phylogenetics, resulting very often in a polarized accumulation of knowledge (technical on one side and biological on the other). Interpreting the robustness of genome-scale phylogenetic studies is not straightforward, particularly as new methodological developments have consistently shown that the general belief of "more genes, more robustness" often does not apply, and because there is a range of systematic errors that plague phylogenomic investigations. This is particularly problematic because phylogenomic studies are highly heterogeneous in their methodology, and best practices are often not clearly defined. The main aim of this article is to present what I consider as the ten most important points to take into consideration when planning a well-thought-out phylogenomic study and while evaluating the quality of published papers. The goal is to provide a practical step-by-step guide that can be easily followed by nonexperts and phylogenomic novices in order to assess the technical robustness of phylogenomic studies or improve the experimental design of a project.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus Lozano-Fernandez
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Avd. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC – Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig marítim de la Barcelona 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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38
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Rosenberg E. Rapid acquisition of microorganisms and microbial genes can help explain punctuated evolution. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.957708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The punctuated mode of evolution posits that evolution occurs in rare bursts of rapid evolutionary change followed by long periods of genetic stability (stasis). The accepted cause for the rapid changes in punctuated evolution is special ecological circumstances – selection forces brought about by changes in the environment. This article presents a complementary explanation for punctuated evolution by the rapid formation of genetic variants in animals and plants by the acquisition of microorganisms from the environment into microbiomes and microbial genes into host genomes by horizontal gene transfer. Several examples of major evolutionary events driven by microorganisms are discussed, including the formation of the first eukaryotic cell, the ability of some animals to digest cellulose and other plant cell-wall complex polysaccharides, dynamics of root system architecture, and the formation of placental mammals. These changes by cooperation were quantum leaps in the evolutionary development of complex bilolgical systems and can contribute to an understanding of the mechanisms underlying punctuated evolution.
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39
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Romei M, Sapriel G, Imbert P, Jamay T, Chomilier J, Lecointre G, Carpentier M. Protein folds as synapomorphies of the tree of life. Evolution 2022; 76:1706-1719. [PMID: 35765784 PMCID: PMC9541633 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Several studies showed that folds (topology of protein secondary structures) distribution in proteomes may be a global proxy to build phylogeny. Then, some folds should be synapomorphies (derived characters exclusively shared among taxa). However, previous studies used methods that did not allow synapomorphy identification, which requires congruence analysis of folds as individual characters. Here, we map SCOP folds onto a sample of 210 species across the tree of life (TOL). Congruence is assessed using retention index of each fold for the TOL, and principal component analysis for deeper branches. Using a bicluster mapping approach, we define synapomorphic blocks of folds (SBF) sharing similar presence/absence patterns. Among the 1232 folds, 20% are universally present in our TOL, whereas 54% are reliable synapomorphies. These results are similar with CATH and ECOD databases. Eukaryotes are characterized by a large number of them, and several SBFs clearly support nested eukaryotic clades (divergence times from 1100 to 380 mya). Although clearly separated, the three superkingdoms reveal a strong mosaic pattern. This pattern is consistent with the dual origin of eukaryotes and witness secondary endosymbiosis in their phothosynthetic clades. Our study unveils direct analysis of folds synapomorphies as key characters to unravel evolutionary history of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Romei
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB UMR 7205)Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, UAParisFrance,IMPMC (UMR 7590), BiBiP, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, MNHNParisFrance
| | - Guillaume Sapriel
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB UMR 7205)Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, UAParisFrance,UFR des sciences de la santéUniversité Versailles‐St‐QuentinVersaillesFrance
| | - Pierre Imbert
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB UMR 7205)Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, UAParisFrance
| | - Théo Jamay
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB UMR 7205)Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, UAParisFrance
| | | | - Guillaume Lecointre
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB UMR 7205)Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, UAParisFrance
| | - Mathilde Carpentier
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB UMR 7205)Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, UAParisFrance
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40
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A closed Candidatus Odinarchaeum chromosome exposes Asgard archaeal viruses. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:948-952. [PMID: 35760836 PMCID: PMC9246712 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01122-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Asgard archaea have recently been identified as the closest archaeal relatives of eukaryotes. Their ecology, and particularly their virome, remain enigmatic. We reassembled and closed the chromosome of Candidatus Odinarchaeum yellowstonii LCB_4, through long-range PCR, revealing CRISPR spacers targeting viral contigs. We found related viruses in the genomes of diverse prokaryotes from geothermal environments, including other Asgard archaea. These viruses open research avenues into the ecology and evolution of Asgard archaea.
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41
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Foster PG, Schrempf D, Szöllősi GJ, Williams TA, Cox CJ, Embley TM. Recoding amino acids to a reduced alphabet may increase or decrease phylogenetic accuracy. Syst Biol 2022:6609786. [PMID: 35713492 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syac042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Common molecular phylogenetic characteristics such as long branches and compositional heterogeneity can be problematic for phylogenetic reconstruction when using amino acid data. Recoding alignments to reduced alphabets before phylogenetic analysis has often been used both to explore and potentially decrease the effect of such problems. We tested the effectiveness of this strategy on topological accuracy using simulated data on four-taxon trees. We simulated alignments in phylogenetically challenging ways to test the phylogenetic accuracy of analyses using various recoding strategies together with commonly-used homogeneous models. We tested three recoding methods based on amino acid exchangeability, and another recoding method based on lowering the compositional heterogeneity among alignment sequences as measured by the Chi-squared statistic. Our simulation results show that on trees with long branches where sequences approach saturation, accuracy was not greatly affected by exchangeability-based recodings, but Chi-squared-based recoding decreased accuracy. We then simulated sequences with different kinds of compositional heterogeneity over the tree. Recoding often increased accuracy on such alignments. Exchangeability-based recoding was rarely worse than not recoding, and often considerably better. Recoding based on lowering the Chi-squared value improved accuracy in some cases but not in others, suggesting that low compositional heterogeneity by itself is not sufficient to increase accuracy in the analysis of these alignments. We also simulated alignments using site-specific amino acid profiles, making sequences that had compositional heterogeneity over alignment sites. Exchangeability-based recoding coupled with site-homogeneous models had poor accuracy for these datasets but Chi-squared-based recoding on these alignments increased accuracy. We then simulated datasets that were compositionally both site- and tree-heterogeneous, like many real datasets. The effect on accuracy of recoding such doubly problematic datasets varied widely, depending on the type of compositional tree-heterogeneity and on the recoding scheme. Interestingly, analysis of unrecoded compositionally heterogeneous alignments with the NDCH or CAT models was generally more accurate than homogeneous analysis, whether recoded or not. Overall, our results suggest that making trees for recoded amino acid datasets can be useful, but they need to be interpreted cautiously as part of a more comprehensive analysis. The use of better fitting models like NDCH and CAT, which directly account for the patterns in the data, may offer a more promising long-term solution for analysing empirical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter G Foster
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Dominik Schrempf
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely J Szöllősi
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,MTA-ELTE "Lendület" Evolutionary Genomics Research Group, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Evolutionary Systems Research Group, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 8237 Tihany, Hungary
| | - Tom A Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, BS8 1TQ, Bristol, UK
| | - Cymon J Cox
- Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Gambelas, 8005-319 Faro, Portugal
| | - T Martin Embley
- Biosciences Institute, Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Baddiley-Clark Building (room 2.04), Newcastle University, Richardson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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42
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Kazan R, Bourgeois G, Lazennec-Schurdevin C, Larquet E, Mechulam Y, Coureux PD, Schmitt E. Role of aIF5B in archaeal translation initiation. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:6532-6548. [PMID: 35694843 PMCID: PMC9226500 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotes and in archaea late steps of translation initiation involve the two initiation factors e/aIF5B and e/aIF1A. In eukaryotes, the role of eIF5B in ribosomal subunit joining is established and structural data showing eIF5B bound to the full ribosome were obtained. To achieve its function, eIF5B collaborates with eIF1A. However, structural data illustrating how these two factors interact on the small ribosomal subunit have long been awaited. The role of the archaeal counterparts, aIF5B and aIF1A, remains to be extensively addressed. Here, we study the late steps of Pyrococcus abyssi translation initiation. Using in vitro reconstituted initiation complexes and light scattering, we show that aIF5B bound to GTP accelerates subunit joining without the need for GTP hydrolysis. We report the crystallographic structures of aIF5B bound to GDP and GTP and analyze domain movements associated to these two nucleotide states. Finally, we present the cryo-EM structure of an initiation complex containing 30S bound to mRNA, Met-tRNAiMet, aIF5B and aIF1A at 2.7 Å resolution. Structural data shows how archaeal 5B and 1A factors cooperate to induce a conformation of the initiator tRNA favorable to subunit joining. Archaeal and eukaryotic features of late steps of translation initiation are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramy Kazan
- Laboratoire de Biologie Structurale de la Cellule, BIOC, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France
| | - Gabrielle Bourgeois
- Laboratoire de Biologie Structurale de la Cellule, BIOC, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France
| | - Christine Lazennec-Schurdevin
- Laboratoire de Biologie Structurale de la Cellule, BIOC, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France
| | - Eric Larquet
- Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée, PMC, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France
| | - Yves Mechulam
- Laboratoire de Biologie Structurale de la Cellule, BIOC, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France
| | - Pierre-Damien Coureux
- Laboratoire de Biologie Structurale de la Cellule, BIOC, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France
| | - Emmanuelle Schmitt
- Laboratoire de Biologie Structurale de la Cellule, BIOC, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France
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43
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John Macfarlane was the first to recognize Eukaryota as a group. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:739-740. [PMID: 35650284 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01129-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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44
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Liu Y, Li M. The unstable evolutionary position of Korarchaeota and its relationship with other TACK and Asgard archaea. MLIFE 2022; 1:218-222. [PMID: 38817676 PMCID: PMC10989867 DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.12020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The applications of marker gene concatenation have been advanced to resolve the key questions in the Tree of Life. However, the interphylum evolutionary relationship between Korarchaeota of TACK (Thaumarchaeota, Aigarchaeota, Crenarchaeota, Korarchaeota) and Asgard archaea remains uncertain. We applied a marker gene ranking procedure to examine their evolutionary history. Our updated trees showed confident placements of (1) Korarchaeota as the basal branch to other TACK archaea and as a sister group to Asgard archaea; (2) Njordarchaeota at basal branch to Korarchaeota instead of within Asgard archaea. They highlight the importance of evaluating marker genes for phylogeny inference of the Archaea domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced StudyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced StudyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
| | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced StudyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced StudyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
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45
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Reconstruction of the rRNA Sequences of LUCA, with Bioinformatic Implication of the Local Similarities Shared by Them. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11060837. [PMID: 35741358 PMCID: PMC9219793 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The theory of the RNA world, especially with the catalytic capability of RNA, provides a reasonable framework explaining the evolution of molecular genetics system before the scenario of the central dogma. However, it remains a challenge to deduce the origin mechanism of rRNAs. Here we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of archaea and bacteria with bootstrap values of most nodes, especially the deep ones, higher than 90%. Based on the well-resolved tree, the full lengths of 16S, 5S, and 23S rRNA sequences of the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) were reconstructed for the first time. The potential similarities shared by the three ancestral rRNA sequences were further explored by searching for repeat short fragments in the level of purine–pyrimidine (RY) with certain lengths and arrangements. With the lengths ranging from 2 to 14, functional short fragments could be found in the three RNAs. As a representative, a set with a total of 75 short fragments of 11 nucleotides in length can recover all types of the known functional sites of ribosomes in a most concise manner. The 75 short fragments cluster around the functional center of the ribosome, among which 18 of them are highly conserved across five or six kingdoms and still contain all types of known functional sites except one. Alternatively, according to the strategy using the level of AUGC instead of RY, a similar pattern can be recovered. Such results indicate the local similarities shared by 16S, 5S, and 23S rRNAs and thus suggest a possible general mechanism in the formation of the LUCA rRNAs.
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Eukaryogenesis and oxygen in Earth history. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:520-532. [PMID: 35449457 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01733-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The endosymbiotic origin of mitochondria during eukaryogenesis has long been viewed as an adaptive response to the oxygenation of Earth's surface environment, presuming a fundamentally aerobic lifestyle for the free-living bacterial ancestors of mitochondria. This oxygen-centric view has been robustly challenged by recent advances in the Earth and life sciences. While the permanent oxygenation of the atmosphere above trace concentrations is now thought to have occurred 2.2 billion years ago, large parts of the deep ocean remained anoxic until less than 0.5 billion years ago. Neither fossils nor molecular clocks correlate the origin of mitochondria, or eukaryogenesis more broadly, to either of these planetary redox transitions. Instead, mitochondria-bearing eukaryotes are consistently dated to between these two oxygenation events, during an interval of pervasive deep-sea anoxia and variable surface-water oxygenation. The discovery and cultivation of the Asgard archaea has reinforced metabolic evidence that eukaryogenesis was initially mediated by syntrophic H2 exchange between an archaeal host and an α-proteobacterial symbiont living under anoxia. Together, these results temporally, spatially and metabolically decouple the earliest stages of eukaryogenesis from the oxygen content of the surface ocean and atmosphere. Rather than reflecting the ancestral metabolic state, obligate aerobiosis in eukaryotes is most probably derived, having only become globally widespread over the past 1 billion years as atmospheric oxygen approached modern levels.
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Meyer BH, Adam PS, Wagstaff BA, Kolyfetis GE, Probst AJ, Albers SV, Dorfmueller HC. Agl24 is an ancient archaeal homolog of the eukaryotic N-glycan chitobiose synthesis enzymes. eLife 2022; 11:67448. [PMID: 35394422 PMCID: PMC8993221 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein N-glycosylation is a post-translational modification found in organisms of all domains of life. The crenarchaeal N-glycosylation begins with the synthesis of a lipid-linked chitobiose core structure, identical to that in Eukaryotes, although the enzyme catalyzing this reaction remains unknown. Here, we report the identification of a thermostable archaeal β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase, named archaeal glycosylation enzyme 24 (Agl24), responsible for the synthesis of the N-glycan chitobiose core. Biochemical characterization confirmed its function as an inverting β-D-GlcNAc-(1→4)-α-D-GlcNAc-diphosphodolichol glycosyltransferase. Substitution of a conserved histidine residue, found also in the eukaryotic and bacterial homologs, demonstrated its functional importance for Agl24. Furthermore, bioinformatics and structural modeling revealed similarities of Agl24 to the eukaryotic Alg14/13 and a distant relation to the bacterial MurG, which are catalyzing the same or a similar reaction, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of Alg14/13 homologs indicates that they are ancient in Eukaryotes, either as a lateral transfer or inherited through eukaryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin H Meyer
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (EMB), Aquatic Microbial Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,Division of Molecular Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.,Molecular Biology of Archaea, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Panagiotis S Adam
- Group for Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ben A Wagstaff
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - George E Kolyfetis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Alexander J Probst
- Centre of Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Sonja V Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Helge C Dorfmueller
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
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48
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Xie R, Wang Y, Huang D, Hou J, Li L, Hu H, Zhao X, Wang F. Expanding Asgard members in the domain of Archaea sheds new light on the origin of eukaryotes. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 65:818-829. [PMID: 34378142 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-1969-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The hypothesis that eukaryotes originated from within the domain Archaea has been strongly supported by recent phylogenomic analyses placing Heimdallarchaeota-Wukongarchaeota branch from the Asgard superphylum as the closest known archaeal sister-group to eukaryotes. However, our understanding is still limited in terms of the relationship between eukaryotes and archaea, as well as the evolution and ecological functions of the Asgard archaea. Here, we describe three previously unknown phylum-level Asgard archaeal lineages, tentatively named Sigyn-, Freyr- and Njordarchaeota. Additional members in Wukongarchaeota and Baldrarchaeota from distinct environments are also reported here, further expanding their ecological roles and metabolic capacities. Comprehensive phylogenomic analyses further supported the origin of eukaryotes within Asgard archaea and a new lineage Njordarchaeota was supposed as the known closest branch with the eukaryotic nuclear host lineage. Metabolic reconstruction suggests that Njordarchaeota may have a heterotrophic lifestyle with capability of peptides and amino acids utilization, while Sigynarchaeota and Freyrarchaeota also have the potentials to fix inorganic carbon via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and degrade organic matters. Additionally, the Ack/Pta pathway for homoacetogenesis and de novo anaerobic cobalamin biosynthesis pathway were found in Freyrarchaeota and Wukongrarchaeota, respectively. Some previously unidentified eukaryotic signature proteins for intracellular membrane trafficking system, and the homologue of mu/sigma subunit of adaptor protein complex, were identified in Freyrarchaeota. This study expands the Asgard superphylum, sheds new light on the evolution of eukaryotes and improves our understanding of ecological functions of the Asgard archaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruize Xie
- School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Yinzhao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Danyue Huang
- School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Jialin Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Liuyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Haining Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Fengping Wang
- School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519082, China.
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49
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Wonnacott A, Denby L, Coward RJM, Fraser DJ, Bowen T. MicroRNAs and their delivery in diabetic fibrosis. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 182:114045. [PMID: 34767865 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.114045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The global prevalence of diabetes mellitus was estimated to be 463 million people in 2019 and is predicted to rise to 700 million by 2045. The associated financial and societal costs of this burgeoning epidemic demand an understanding of the pathology of this disease, and its complications, that will inform treatment to enable improved patient outcomes. Nearly two decades after the sequencing of the human genome, the significance of noncoding RNA expression is still being assessed. The family of functional noncoding RNAs known as microRNAs regulates the expression of most genes encoded by the human genome. Altered microRNA expression profiles have been observed both in diabetes and in diabetic complications. These transcripts therefore have significant potential and novelty as targets for therapy, therapeutic agents and biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa Wonnacott
- Wales Kidney Research Unit, Division of Infection & Immunity, School of Medicine, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Laura Denby
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Richard J M Coward
- Bristol Renal, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK
| | - Donald J Fraser
- Wales Kidney Research Unit, Division of Infection & Immunity, School of Medicine, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Timothy Bowen
- Wales Kidney Research Unit, Division of Infection & Immunity, School of Medicine, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.
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50
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Da Cunha V, Gaïa M, Forterre P. The expanding Asgard archaea and their elusive relationships with Eukarya. MLIFE 2022; 1:3-12. [PMID: 38818326 PMCID: PMC10989751 DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.12012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The discovery of Asgard archaea and the exploration of their diversity over the last 6 years have deeply impacted the scientific community working on eukaryogenesis, rejuvenating an intense debate on the topology of the universal tree of life (uTol). Here, we discuss how this debate is impacted by two recent publications that expand the number of Asgard lineages and eukaryotic signature proteins (ESPs). We discuss some of the main difficulties that can impair the phylogenetic reconstructions of the uTol and suggest that the debate about its topology is not settled. We notably hypothesize the existence of horizontal gene transfers between ancestral Asgards and proto-eukaryotes that could result in the observed abnormal behaviors of some Asgard ESPs and universal marker proteins. This hypothesis is relevant regardless of the scenario considered regarding eukaryogenesis. It implies that the Asgards were already diversified before the last eukaryotic common ancestor and shared the same biotopes with proto-eukaryotes. We suggest that some Asgards might be still living in symbiosis today with modern Eukarya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violette Da Cunha
- CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC)Université Paris‐SaclayGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Morgan Gaïa
- Génomique Métabolique, Génoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRSUniv. Evry, Université Paris‐SaclayEvryFrance
| | - Patrick Forterre
- CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC)Université Paris‐SaclayGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
- Département de Microbiologie, Institut PasteurParisFrance
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