1
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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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2
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Qi YL, Chen YT, Xie YG, Li YX, Rao YZ, Li MM, Xie QJ, Cao XR, Chen L, Qu YN, Yuan ZX, Xiao ZC, Lu L, Jiao JY, Shu WS, Li WJ, Hedlund BP, Hua ZS. Analysis of nearly 3000 archaeal genomes from terrestrial geothermal springs sheds light on interconnected biogeochemical processes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4066. [PMID: 38744885 PMCID: PMC11094006 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48498-5] [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: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial geothermal springs are physicochemically diverse and host abundant populations of Archaea. However, the diversity, functionality, and geological influences of these Archaea are not well understood. Here we explore the genomic diversity of Archaea in 152 metagenomes from 48 geothermal springs in Tengchong, China, collected from 2016 to 2021. Our dataset is comprised of 2949 archaeal metagenome-assembled genomes spanning 12 phyla and 392 newly identified species, which increases the known species diversity of Archaea by ~48.6%. The structures and potential functions of the archaeal communities are strongly influenced by temperature and pH, with high-temperature acidic and alkaline springs favoring archaeal abundance over Bacteria. Genome-resolved metagenomics and metatranscriptomics provide insights into the potential ecological niches of these Archaea and their potential roles in carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, and hydrogen metabolism. Furthermore, our findings illustrate the interplay of competition and cooperation among Archaea in biogeochemical cycles, possibly arising from overlapping functional niches and metabolic handoffs. Taken together, our study expands the genomic diversity of Archaea inhabiting geothermal springs and provides a foundation for more incisive study of biogeochemical processes mediated by Archaea in geothermal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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, 230026, China
| | - Ya-Ting Chen
- Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University-Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Chengdu, 610207, China
| | - Yuan-Guo Xie
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, 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, 230026, China
| | - Yang-Zhi Rao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Meng-Meng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, PR China
| | - Qi-Jun Xie
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Xing-Ru Cao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Yan-Ni Qu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Zhen-Xuan Yuan
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Zhi-Chao Xiao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Lu Lu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, China
| | - Jian-Yu Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, PR China
| | - Wen-Sheng Shu
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, PR China.
| | - Brian P Hedlund
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA.
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA.
| | - 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, 230026, China.
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3
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Kleikamp HBC, Palacios PA, Kofoed MVW, Papacharalampos G, Bentien A, Nielsen JL. The Selenoproteome as a Dynamic Response Mechanism to Oxidative Stress in Hydrogenotrophic Methanogenic Communities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:6637-6646. [PMID: 38580315 PMCID: PMC11025550 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c07725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Methanogenesis is a critical process in the carbon cycle that is applied industrially in anaerobic digestion and biogas production. While naturally occurring in diverse environments, methanogenesis requires anaerobic and reduced conditions, although varying degrees of oxygen tolerance have been described. Microaeration is suggested as the next step to increase methane production and improve hydrolysis in digestion processes; therefore, a deeper understanding of the methanogenic response to oxygen stress is needed. To explore the drivers of oxygen tolerance in methanogenesis, two parallel enrichments were performed under the addition of H2/CO2 in an environment without reducing agents and in a redox-buffered environment by adding redox mediator 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonate disodium. The cellular response to oxidative conditions is mapped using proteomic analysis. The resulting community showed remarkable tolerance to high-redox environments and was unperturbed in its methane production. Next to the expression of pathways to mitigate reactive oxygen species, the higher redox potential environment showed an increased presence of selenocysteine and selenium-associated pathways. By including sulfur-to-selenium mass shifts in a proteomic database search, we provide the first evidence of the dynamic and large-scale incorporation of selenocysteine as a response to oxidative stress in hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and the presence of a dynamic selenoproteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo B. C. Kleikamp
- Department
of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Paola A. Palacios
- Department
of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Michael V. W. Kofoed
- Department
of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Georgios Papacharalampos
- Department
of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Anders Bentien
- Department
of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Åbogade 40, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jeppe L. Nielsen
- Department
of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
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Huang B, Xiao Y, Zhang Y. Asgard archaeal selenoproteome reveals a roadmap for the archaea-to-eukaryote transition of selenocysteine incorporation machinery. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae111. [PMID: 38896033 PMCID: PMC11227280 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Selenocysteine (Sec) is encoded by the UGA codon that normally functions as a stop signal and is specifically incorporated into selenoproteins via a unique recoding mechanism. The translational recoding of UGA as Sec is directed by an unusual RNA structure, the SECIS element. Although archaea and eukaryotes adopt similar Sec encoding machinery, the SECIS elements have no similarities to each other with regard to sequence and structure. We analyzed >400 Asgard archaeal genomes to examine the occurrence of both Sec encoding system and selenoproteins in this archaeal superphylum, the closest prokaryotic relatives of eukaryotes. A comprehensive map of Sec utilization trait has been generated, providing the most detailed understanding of the use of this nonstandard amino acid in Asgard archaea so far. By characterizing the selenoproteomes of all organisms, several selenoprotein-rich phyla and species were identified. Most Asgard archaeal selenoprotein genes possess eukaryotic SECIS-like structures with varying degrees of diversity. Moreover, euryarchaeal SECIS elements might originate from Asgard archaeal SECIS elements via lateral gene transfer, indicating a complex and dynamic scenario of the evolution of SECIS element within archaea. Finally, a roadmap for the transition of eukaryotic SECIS elements from archaea was proposed, and selenophosphate synthetase may serve as a potential intermediate for the generation of ancestral eukaryotic SECIS element. Our results offer new insights into a deeper understanding of the evolution of Sec insertion machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biyan Huang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Ecology, Brain Disease and Big Data Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Yao Xiao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Ecology, Brain Disease and Big Data Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Ecology, Brain Disease and Big Data Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
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5
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Brown SM, Mayer-Bacon C, Freeland S. Xeno Amino Acids: A Look into Biochemistry as We Do Not Know It. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2281. [PMID: 38137883 PMCID: PMC10744825 DOI: 10.3390/life13122281] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Would another origin of life resemble Earth's biochemical use of amino acids? Here, we review current knowledge at three levels: (1) Could other classes of chemical structure serve as building blocks for biopolymer structure and catalysis? Amino acids now seem both readily available to, and a plausible chemical attractor for, life as we do not know it. Amino acids thus remain important and tractable targets for astrobiological research. (2) If amino acids are used, would we expect the same L-alpha-structural subclass used by life? Despite numerous ideas, it is not clear why life favors L-enantiomers. It seems clearer, however, why life on Earth uses the shortest possible (alpha-) amino acid backbone, and why each carries only one side chain. However, assertions that other backbones are physicochemically impossible have relaxed into arguments that they are disadvantageous. (3) Would we expect a similar set of side chains to those within the genetic code? Many plausible alternatives exist. Furthermore, evidence exists for both evolutionary advantage and physicochemical constraint as explanatory factors for those encoded by life. Overall, as focus shifts from amino acids as a chemical class to specific side chains used by post-LUCA biology, the probable role of physicochemical constraint diminishes relative to that of biological evolution. Exciting opportunities now present themselves for laboratory work and computing to explore how changing the amino acid alphabet alters the universe of protein folds. Near-term milestones include: (a) expanding evidence about amino acids as attractors within chemical evolution; (b) extending characterization of other backbones relative to biological proteins; and (c) merging computing and laboratory explorations of structures and functions unlocked by xeno peptides.
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6
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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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7
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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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8
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Update of the Pyrrolysyl-tRNA Synthetase/tRNA Pyl Pair and Derivatives for Genetic Code Expansion. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0038522. [PMID: 36695595 PMCID: PMC9945579 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00385-22] [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: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The cotranslational incorporation of pyrrolysine (Pyl), the 22nd proteinogenic amino acid, into proteins in response to the UAG stop codon represents an outstanding example of natural genetic code expansion. Genetic encoding of Pyl is conducted by the pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) and its cognate tRNA, tRNAPyl. Owing to the high tolerance of PylRS toward diverse amino acid substrates and great orthogonality in various model organisms, the PylRS/tRNAPyl-derived pairs are ideal for genetic code expansion to insert noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins of interest. Since the discovery of cellular components involved in the biosynthesis and genetic encoding of Pyl, synthetic biologists have been enthusiastic about engineering PylRS/tRNAPyl-derived pairs to rewrite the genetic code of living cells. Recently, considerable progress has been made in understanding the molecular phylogeny, biochemical properties, and structural features of the PylRS/tRNAPyl pair, guiding its further engineering and optimization. In this review, we cover the basic and updated knowledge of the PylRS/tRNAPyl pair's unique characteristics that make it an outstanding tool for reprogramming the genetic code. In addition, we summarize the recent efforts to create efficient and (mutually) orthogonal PylRS/tRNAPyl-derived pairs for incorporation of diverse ncAAs by genome mining, rational design, and advanced directed evolution methods.
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9
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Vosseberg J, Stolker D, von der Dunk SHA, Snel B. Integrating Phylogenetics With Intron Positions Illuminates the Origin of the Complex Spliceosome. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:6985000. [PMID: 36631250 PMCID: PMC9887622 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic genes are characterized by the presence of introns that are removed from pre-mRNA by a spliceosome. This ribonucleoprotein complex is comprised of multiple RNA molecules and over a hundred proteins, which makes it one of the most complex molecular machines that originated during the prokaryote-to-eukaryote transition. Previous works have established that these introns and the spliceosomal core originated from self-splicing introns in prokaryotes. Yet, how the spliceosomal core expanded by recruiting many additional proteins remains largely elusive. In this study, we use phylogenetic analyses to infer the evolutionary history of 145 proteins that we could trace back to the spliceosome in the last eukaryotic common ancestor. We found that an overabundance of proteins derived from ribosome-related processes was added to the prokaryote-derived core. Extensive duplications of these proteins substantially increased the complexity of the emerging spliceosome. By comparing the intron positions between spliceosomal paralogs, we infer that most spliceosomal complexity postdates the spread of introns through the proto-eukaryotic genome. The reconstruction of early spliceosomal evolution provides insight into the driving forces behind the emergence of complexes with many proteins during eukaryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Vosseberg
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands,Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 EH Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Daan Stolker
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Samuel H A von der Dunk
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
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10
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Actin cytoskeleton and complex cell architecture in an Asgard archaeon. Nature 2023; 613:332-339. [PMID: 36544020 PMCID: PMC9834061 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05550-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Asgard archaea are considered to be the closest known relatives of eukaryotes. Their genomes contain hundreds of eukaryotic signature proteins (ESPs), which inspired hypotheses on the evolution of the eukaryotic cell1-3. A role of ESPs in the formation of an elaborate cytoskeleton and complex cellular structures has been postulated4-6, but never visualized. Here we describe a highly enriched culture of 'Candidatus Lokiarchaeum ossiferum', a member of the Asgard phylum, which thrives anaerobically at 20 °C on organic carbon sources. It divides every 7-14 days, reaches cell densities of up to 5 × 107 cells per ml and has a significantly larger genome compared with the single previously cultivated Asgard strain7. ESPs represent 5% of its protein-coding genes, including four actin homologues. We imaged the enrichment culture using cryo-electron tomography, identifying 'Ca. L. ossiferum' cells on the basis of characteristic expansion segments of their ribosomes. Cells exhibited coccoid cell bodies and a network of branched protrusions with frequent constrictions. The cell envelope consists of a single membrane and complex surface structures. A long-range cytoskeleton extends throughout the cell bodies, protrusions and constrictions. The twisted double-stranded architecture of the filaments is consistent with F-actin. Immunostaining indicates that the filaments comprise Lokiactin-one of the most highly conserved ESPs in Asgard archaea. We propose that a complex actin-based cytoskeleton predated the emergence of the first eukaryotes and was a crucial feature in the evolution of the Asgard phylum by scaffolding elaborate cellular structures.
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11
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Zhou Z, Liu Y, Anantharaman K, Li M. The expanding Asgard archaea invoke novel insights into Tree of Life and eukaryogenesis. MLIFE 2022; 1:374-381. [PMID: 38818484 PMCID: PMC10989744 DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.12048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The division of organisms on the Tree of Life into either a three-domain (3D) tree or a two-domain (2D) tree has been disputed for a long time. Ever since the discovery of Archaea by Carl Woese in 1977 using 16S ribosomal RNA sequence as the evolutionary marker, there has been a great advance in our knowledge of not only the growing diversity of Archaea but also the evolutionary relationships between different lineages of living organisms. Here, we present this perspective to summarize the progress of archaeal diversity and changing notion of the Tree of Life. Meanwhile, we provide the latest progress in genomics/physiology-based discovery of Asgard archaeal lineages as the closest relative of Eukaryotes. Furthermore, we propose three major directions for future research on exploring the "next one" closest Eukaryote relative, deciphering the function of archaeal eukaryotic signature proteins and eukaryogenesis from both genomic and physiological aspects, and understanding the roles of horizontal gene transfer, viruses, and mobile elements in eukaryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Zhou
- Department of BacteriologyUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - 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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12
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Manta B, Makarova NE, Mariotti M. The selenophosphate synthetase family: A review. Free Radic Biol Med 2022; 192:63-76. [PMID: 36122644 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Selenophosphate synthetases use selenium and ATP to synthesize selenophosphate. This is required for biological utilization of selenium, most notably for the synthesis of the non-canonical amino acid selenocysteine (Sec). Therefore, selenophosphate synthetases underlie all functions of selenoproteins, which include redox homeostasis, protein quality control, hormone regulation, metabolism, and many others. This protein family comprises two groups, SelD/SPS2 and SPS1. The SelD/SPS2 group represent true selenophosphate synthetases, enzymes central to selenium metabolism which are present in all Sec-utilizing organisms across the tree of life. Notably, many SelD/SPS2 proteins contain Sec as catalytic residue in their N-terminal flexible selenium-binding loop, while others replace it with cysteine (Cys). The SPS1 group comprises proteins originated through gene duplications of SelD/SPS2 in metazoa in which the Sec/Cys-dependent catalysis was disrupted. SPS1 proteins do not synthesize selenophosphate and are not required for Sec synthesis. They have essential regulatory functions related to redox homeostasis and pyridoxal phosphate, which affect signaling pathways for growth and differentiation. In this review, we summarize the knowledge about the selenophosphate synthetase family acquired through decades of research, encompassing their structure, mechanism, function, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Manta
- Laboratorio de Genómica Microbiana, Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Uruguay, Cátedra de Fisiopatología, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Nadezhda E Makarova
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Avinguda Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Marco Mariotti
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Avinguda Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Catalonia, Spain.
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13
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Guo LT, Amikura K, Jiang HK, Mukai T, Fu X, Wang YS, O'Donoghue P, Söll D, Tharp JM. Ancestral Archaea Expanded the Genetic Code with Pyrrolysine. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102521. [PMID: 36152750 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) facilitates the co-translational installation of the 22nd amino acid pyrrolysine. Owing to its tolerance for diverse amino acid substrates, and its orthogonality in multiple organisms, PylRS has emerged as a major route to install noncanonical amino acids into proteins in living cells. Recently, a novel class of PylRS enzymes was identified in a subset of methanogenic archaea. Enzymes within this class (ΔPylSn) lack the N-terminal tRNA-binding domain that is widely conserved amongst PylRS enzymes, yet remain highly active and orthogonal in bacteria and eukaryotes. In this study, we use biochemical and in vivo UAG-readthrough assays to characterize the aminoacylation efficiency and substrate spectrum of a ΔPylSn class PylRS from the archaeon Ca. Methanomethylophilus alvus. We show that, compared to the full-length enzyme from Methanosarcina mazei, the Ca. M. alvus PylRS displays reduced aminoacylation efficiency, but an expanded amino acid substrate spectrum. To gain insight into the evolution of ΔPylSn enzymes, we performed molecular phylogeny using 156 PylRS and 105 tRNAPyl sequences from diverse anaerobic archaea and bacteria. This analysis suggests that the PylRS•tRNAPyl pair diverged before the evolution of the three domains of life, placing an early limit on the evolution of the Pyl-decoding trait. Furthermore, our results document the co-evolutionary history of PylRS and tRNAPyl and reveal the emergence of tRNAPyl sequences with unique A73 and U73 discriminator bases. The orthogonality of these tRNAPyl species with the more common G73-containing tRNAPyl will enable future efforts to engineer PylRS systems for further genetic code expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Tao Guo
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry
| | - Kazuaki Amikura
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry; Department of Interdisciplinary Space Science, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Han-Kai Jiang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry; Chemical Biology and Molecular Biophysics Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Takahito Mukai
- Department of Life Science, College of Science, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Xian Fu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yane-Shih Wang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry; Chemical Biology and Molecular Biophysics Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Patrick O'Donoghue
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Dieter Söll
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry; Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jeffery M Tharp
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry; Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
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14
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Meng K, Chung CZ, Söll D, Krahn N. Unconventional genetic code systems in archaea. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1007832. [PMID: 36160229 PMCID: PMC9499178 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1007832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Archaea constitute the third domain of life, distinct from bacteria and eukaryotes given their ability to tolerate extreme environments. To survive these harsh conditions, certain archaeal lineages possess unique genetic code systems to encode either selenocysteine or pyrrolysine, rare amino acids not found in all organisms. Furthermore, archaea utilize alternate tRNA-dependent pathways to biosynthesize and incorporate members of the 20 canonical amino acids. Recent discoveries of new archaeal species have revealed the co-occurrence of these genetic code systems within a single lineage. This review discusses the diverse genetic code systems of archaea, while detailing the associated biochemical elements and molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin Meng
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Christina Z. Chung
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Dieter Söll
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Natalie Krahn
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- *Correspondence: Natalie Krahn,
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15
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Medvedeva S, Sun J, Yutin N, Koonin EV, Nunoura T, Rinke C, Krupovic M. Three families of Asgard archaeal viruses identified in metagenome-assembled genomes. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:962-973. [PMID: 35760839 PMCID: PMC11165672 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01144-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Asgardarchaeota harbour many eukaryotic signature proteins and are widely considered to represent the closest archaeal relatives of eukaryotes. Whether similarities between Asgard archaea and eukaryotes extend to their viromes remains unknown. Here we present 20 metagenome-assembled genomes of Asgardarchaeota from deep-sea sediments of the basin off the Shimokita Peninsula, Japan. By combining a CRISPR spacer search of metagenomic sequences with phylogenomic analysis, we identify three family-level groups of viruses associated with Asgard archaea. The first group, verdandiviruses, includes tailed viruses of the class Caudoviricetes (realm Duplodnaviria); the second, skuldviruses, consists of viruses with predicted icosahedral capsids of the realm Varidnaviria; and the third group, wyrdviruses, is related to spindle-shaped viruses previously identified in other archaea. More than 90% of the proteins encoded by these viruses of Asgard archaea show no sequence similarity to proteins encoded by other known viruses. Nevertheless, all three proposed families consist of viruses typical of prokaryotes, providing no indication of specific evolutionary relationships between viruses infecting Asgard archaea and eukaryotes. Verdandiviruses and skuldviruses are likely to be lytic, whereas wyrdviruses potentially establish chronic infection and are released without host cell lysis. All three groups of viruses are predicted to play important roles in controlling Asgard archaea populations in deep-sea ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Medvedeva
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit, Paris, France
- Center of Life Science, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial Cell Unit, Paris, France
| | - Jiarui Sun
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Natalya Yutin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Takuro Nunoura
- Research Center for Bioscience and Nanoscience, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan.
| | - Christian Rinke
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Mart Krupovic
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit, Paris, France.
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16
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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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17
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Borges AL, Lou YC, Sachdeva R, Al-Shayeb B, Penev PI, Jaffe AL, Lei S, Santini JM, Banfield JF. Widespread stop-codon recoding in bacteriophages may regulate translation of lytic genes. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:918-927. [PMID: 35618772 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01128-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are obligate parasites that use host bacterial translation machinery to produce viral proteins. However, some phages have alternative genetic codes with reassigned stop codons that are predicted to be incompatible with bacterial translation systems. We analysed 9,422 phage genomes and found that stop-codon recoding has evolved in diverse clades of phages that infect bacteria present in both human and animal gut microbiota. Recoded stop codons are particularly over-represented in phage structural and lysis genes. We propose that recoded stop codons might function to prevent premature production of late-stage proteins. Stop-codon recoding has evolved several times in closely related lineages, which suggests that adaptive recoding can occur over very short evolutionary timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adair L Borges
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Yue Clare Lou
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Rohan Sachdeva
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Basem Al-Shayeb
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Petar I Penev
- Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Alexander L Jaffe
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Shufei Lei
- Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Joanne M Santini
- Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jillian F Banfield
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. .,Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. .,Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. .,Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. .,The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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18
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Hedlund BP, Zhang C, Wang F, Rinke C, Martin WF. Editorial: Ecology, Metabolism and Evolution of Archaea-Perspectives From Proceedings of the International Workshop on Geo-Omics of Archaea. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:827229. [PMID: 35126338 PMCID: PMC8816317 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.827229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brian P. Hedlund
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Chuanlun Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Fengping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- School of Oceanography, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Christian Rinke
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - William F. Martin
- Institute for Molecular Evolution, University of Dusseldorf Medical School, Düsseldorf, Germany
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19
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Unique mobile elements and scalable gene flow at the prokaryote-eukaryote boundary revealed by circularized Asgard archaea genomes. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:200-212. [PMID: 35027677 PMCID: PMC8813620 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-01039-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic genomes are known to have garnered innovations from both archaeal and bacterial domains but the sequence of events that led to the complex gene repertoire of eukaryotes is largely unresolved. Here, through the enrichment of hydrothermal vent microorganisms, we recovered two circularized genomes of Heimdallarchaeum species that belong to an Asgard archaea clade phylogenetically closest to eukaryotes. These genomes reveal diverse mobile elements, including an integrative viral genome that bidirectionally replicates in a circular form and aloposons, transposons that encode the 5,000 amino acid-sized proteins Otus and Ephialtes. Heimdallaechaeal mobile elements have garnered various genes from bacteria and bacteriophages, likely playing a role in shuffling functions across domains. The number of archaea- and bacteria-related genes follow strikingly different scaling laws in Asgard archaea, exhibiting a genome size-dependent ratio and a functional division resembling the bacteria- and archaea-derived gene repertoire across eukaryotes. Bacterial gene import has thus likely been a continuous process unaltered by eukaryogenesis and scaled up through genome expansion. Our data further highlight the importance of viewing eukaryogenesis in a pan-Asgard context, which led to the proposal of a conceptual framework, that is, the Heimdall nucleation–decentralized innovation–hierarchical import model that accounts for the emergence of eukaryotic complexity. The recovery of two circularized genomes of the Heimdallarchaeum species from hydrothermal vent enrichment cultures reveals that these Asgard archaea carry diverse mobile genetic elements, such as an integrative viral genome and aloposons. These mobile genetic elements contain several bacteria- and phage-derived genes, modulating the shuffling of information between bacteria and archaea, and potentially influencing eukaryogenesis.
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20
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Mukai T, Amikura K, Fu X, Söll D, Crnković A. Indirect Routes to Aminoacyl-tRNA: The Diversity of Prokaryotic Cysteine Encoding Systems. Front Genet 2022; 12:794509. [PMID: 35047015 PMCID: PMC8762117 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.794509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Universally present aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) stringently recognize their cognate tRNAs and acylate them with one of the proteinogenic amino acids. However, some organisms possess aaRSs that deviate from the accurate translation of the genetic code and exhibit relaxed specificity toward their tRNA and/or amino acid substrates. Typically, these aaRSs are part of an indirect pathway in which multiple enzymes participate in the formation of the correct aminoacyl-tRNA product. The indirect cysteine (Cys)-tRNA pathway, originally thought to be restricted to methanogenic archaea, uses the unique O-phosphoseryl-tRNA synthetase (SepRS), which acylates the non-proteinogenic amino acid O-phosphoserine (Sep) onto tRNACys. Together with Sep-tRNA:Cys-tRNA synthase (SepCysS) and the adapter protein SepCysE, SepRS forms a transsulfursome complex responsible for shuttling Sep-tRNACys to SepCysS for conversion of the tRNA-bound Sep to Cys. Here, we report a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of the diversity of indirect Cys encoding systems. These systems are present in more diverse groups of bacteria and archaea than previously known. Given the occurrence and distribution of some genes consistently flanking SepRS, it is likely that this gene was part of an ancient operon that suffered a gradual loss of its original components. Newly identified bacterial SepRS sequences strengthen the suggestion that this lineage of enzymes may not rely on the m1G37 identity determinant in tRNA. Some bacterial SepRSs possess an N-terminal fusion resembling a threonyl-tRNA synthetase editing domain, which interestingly is frequently observed in the vicinity of archaeal SepCysS genes. We also found several highly degenerate SepRS genes that likely have altered amino acid specificity. Cross-analysis of selenocysteine (Sec)-utilizing traits confirmed the co-occurrence of SepCysE and the Sec-utilizing machinery in archaea, but also identified an unusual O-phosphoseryl-tRNASec kinase fusion with an archaeal Sec elongation factor in some lineages, where it may serve in place of SepCysE to prevent crosstalk between the two minor aminoacylation systems. These results shed new light on the variations in SepRS and SepCysS enzymes that may reflect adaptation to lifestyle and habitat, and provide new information on the evolution of the genetic code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahito Mukai
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Life Science, College of Science, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Amikura
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Xian Fu
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Dieter Söll
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Ana Crnković
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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