Natural Carrier-Free Binary Small Molecule Self-Assembled Hydrogel Synergize Antibacterial Effects and Promote Wound Healing by Inhibiting Virulence Factors and Alleviating the Inflammatory Response

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-infected skin wounds have caused a variety of diseases and seriously endanger global public health. Therefore, multidimensional strategies are urgently to find antibacterial dressings to combat bacterial infections. Antibacterial hydrogels are considered potential wound dressing, while their clinical translation is limited due to the unpredictable risks and high costs of carrier excipients. it is found that the natural star antibacterial and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals baicalin (BA) and sanguinarine (SAN) can directly self-assemble through non-covalent bonds such as electrostatic attraction, π-π stacking, and hydrogen bonding to form carrier-free binary small molecule hydrogel. In addition, BA-SAN gel exhibited a synergistic inhibitory effect on MRSA. And its plasticity and injectability allowed it to be applied as a wound dressing. Due to the matched physicochemical properties and synergistic therapeutic effects, BA-SAN gel can inhibit bacterial virulence factors, alleviate wound inflammation, promote wound healing, and has good biocompatibility. The current study not only provided an antibacterial hydrogel with clinical value but also opened up new prospects that carrier-free hydrogels can be designed and originated from clinically used small-molecule phytochemicals.

Biocatalytic One-Carbon Transfer – A Review

This review provides an overview of different C1 building blocks as substrates of enzymes, or part of their cofactors, and the resulting­ functionalized products. There is an emphasis on the broad range of possibilities of biocatalytic one-carbon extensions with C1 sources of different oxidation states. The identification of uncommon biosynthetic strategies, many of which might serve as templates for synthetic or biotechnological applications, towards one-carbon extensions is supported by recent genomic and metabolomic progress and hence we refer principally to literature spanning from 2014 to 2020.

1 Introduction

2 Methane, Methanol, and Methylamine

3 Glycine

4 Nitromethane

5 SAM and SAM Ylide

6 Other C1 Building Blocks

7 Formaldehyde and Glyoxylate as Formaldehyde Equivalents

8 Cyanide

9 Formic Acid

10 Formyl-CoA and Oxalyl-CoA

11 Carbon Monoxide

12 Carbon Dioxide

13 Conclusions

Evidence for an Independent Hydrogenosome-to-Mitosome Transition in the CL3 Lineage of Fornicates

Fornicata, a lineage of a broader and ancient anaerobic eukaryotic clade Metamonada, contains diverse taxa that are ideally suited for evolutionary studies addressing various fundamental biological questions, such as the evolutionary trajectory of mitochondrion-related organelles (MROs), the transition between free-living and endobiotic lifestyles, and the derivation of alternative genetic codes. To this end, we conducted detailed microscopic and transcriptome analyses in a poorly documented strain of an anaerobic free-living marine flagellate, PCS, in the so-called CL3 fornicate lineage. Fortuitously, we discovered that the original culture contained two morphologically similar and closely related CL3 representatives, which doubles the taxon representation within this lineage. We obtained a monoeukaryotic culture of one of them and formally describe it as a new member of the family Caviomonadidae, Euthynema mutabile gen. et sp. nov. In contrast to previously studied caviomonads, the endobiotic Caviomonas mobilis and Iotanema spirale, E. mutabile possesses an ultrastructurally discernible MRO. We sequenced and assembled the transcriptome of E. mutabile, and by sequence subtraction, obtained transcriptome data from the other CL3 clade representative present in the original PCS culture, denoted PCS-ghost. Transcriptome analyses showed that the reassignment of only one of the UAR stop codons to encode Gln previously reported from I. spirale does not extend to its free-living relatives and is likely due to a unique amino acid substitution in I. spirale’s eRF1 protein domain responsible for termination codon recognition. The backbone fornicate phylogeny was robustly resolved in a phylogenomic analysis, with the CL3 clade amongst the earliest branching lineages. Metabolic and MRO functional reconstructions of CL3 clade members revealed that all three, including I. spirale, encode homologs of key components of the mitochondrial protein import apparatus and the ISC pathway, indicating the presence of a MRO in all of them. In silico evidence indicates that the organelles of E. mutabile and PCS-ghost host ATP and H₂ production, unlike the cryptic MRO of I. spirale. These data suggest that the CL3 clade has experienced a hydrogenosome-to-mitosome transition independent from that previously documented for the lineage leading to Giardia.

Toward a glycyl radical enzyme containing synthetic bacterial microcompartment to produce pyruvate from formate and acetate

The enormous complexity of metabolic pathways, in both their regulation and propensity for metabolite cross-talk, represents a major obstacle for metabolic engineering. Self-assembling, catalytically programmable and genetically transferable bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) offer solutions to decrease this complexity through compartmentalization of enzymes within a selectively permeable protein shell. Synthetic BMCs can operate as autonomous metabolic modules decoupled from the cell’s regulatory network, only interfacing with the cell’s metabolism via the highly engineerable proteinaceous shell. Here, we build a synthetic, modular, multienzyme BMC. It functions not only as a proof-of-concept for next-generation metabolic engineering, but also provides the foundation for subsequent tuning, with the goal to create a microanaerobic environment protecting an oxygen-sensitive reaction in aerobic growth conditions that could be deployed.

Formate has great potential to function as a feedstock for biorefineries because it can be sustainably produced by a variety of processes that don’t compete with agricultural production. However, naturally formatotrophic organisms are unsuitable for large-scale cultivation, difficult to engineer, or have inefficient native formate assimilation pathways. Thus, metabolic engineering needs to be developed for model industrial organisms to enable efficient formatotrophic growth. Here, we build a prototype synthetic formate utilizing bacterial microcompartment (sFUT) encapsulating the oxygen-sensitive glycyl radical enzyme pyruvate formate lyase and a phosphate acyltransferase to convert formate and acetyl-phosphate into the central biosynthetic intermediate pyruvate. This metabolic module offers a defined environment with a private cofactor coenzyme A that can cycle efficiently between the encapsulated enzymes. To facilitate initial design-build-test-refine cycles to construct an active metabolic core, we used a “wiffleball” architecture, defined as an icosahedral bacterial microcompartment (BMC) shell with unoccupied pentameric vertices to freely permit substrate and product exchange. The resulting sFUT prototype wiffleball is an active multi enzyme synthetic BMC functioning as platform technology.

Diversity of the Tryptophanase Gene and Its Evolutionary Implications in Living Organisms

Tryptophanase encoded by the gene tnaA is a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme that catalyses the conversion of tryptophan to indole, which is commonly used as an intra- and interspecies signalling molecule, particularly by microbes. However, the production of indole is rare in eukaryotic organisms. A nucleotide and protein database search revealed tnaA is commonly reported in various Gram-negative bacteria, but that only a few Gram-positive bacteria and archaea possess the gene. The presence of tnaA in eukaryotes, particularly protozoans and marine organisms, demonstrates the importance of this gene in the animal kingdom. Here, we document the distribution of tnaA and its acquisition and expansion among different taxonomic groups, many of which are usually categorized as non-indole producers. This study provides an opportunity to understand the intriguing role played by tnaA, and its distribution among various types of organisms.

TCA Cycle Replenishing Pathways in Photosynthetic Purple Non-Sulfur Bacteria Growing with Acetate

Purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) are anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria harnessing simple organic acids as electron donors. PNSB produce a-aminolevulinic acid, polyhydroxyalcanoates, bacteriochlorophylls a and b, ubiquinones, and other valuable compounds. They are highly promising producers of molecular hydrogen. PNSB can be cultivated in organic waste waters, such as wastes after fermentation. In most cases, wastes mainly contain acetic acid. Therefore, understanding the anaplerotic pathways in PNSB is crucial for their potential application as producers of biofuels. The present review addresses the recent data on presence and diversity of anaplerotic pathways in PNSB and describes different classifications of these pathways.

Gregarine single-cell transcriptomics reveals differential mitochondrial remodeling and adaptation in apicomplexans

BACKGROUND

Apicomplexa is a diverse phylum comprising unicellular endobiotic animal parasites and contains some of the most well-studied microbial eukaryotes including the devastating human pathogens Plasmodium falciparum and Cryptosporidium hominis. In contrast, data on the invertebrate-infecting gregarines remains sparse and their evolutionary relationship to other apicomplexans remains obscure. Most apicomplexans retain a highly modified plastid, while their mitochondria remain metabolically conserved. Cryptosporidium spp. inhabit an anaerobic host-gut environment and represent the known exception, having completely lost their plastid while retaining an extremely reduced mitochondrion that has lost its genome. Recent advances in single-cell sequencing have enabled the first broad genome-scale explorations of gregarines, providing evidence of differential plastid retention throughout the group. However, little is known about the retention and metabolic capacity of gregarine mitochondria.

RESULTS

Here, we sequenced transcriptomes from five species of gregarines isolated from cockroaches. We combined these data with those from other apicomplexans, performed detailed phylogenomic analyses, and characterized their mitochondrial metabolism. Our results support the placement of Cryptosporidium as the earliest diverging lineage of apicomplexans, which impacts our interpretation of evolutionary events within the phylum. By mapping in silico predictions of core mitochondrial pathways onto our phylogeny, we identified convergently reduced mitochondria. These data show that the electron transport chain has been independently lost three times across the phylum, twice within gregarines.

CONCLUSIONS

Apicomplexan lineages show variable functional restructuring of mitochondrial metabolism that appears to have been driven by adaptations to parasitism and anaerobiosis. Our findings indicate that apicomplexans are rife with convergent adaptations, with shared features including morphology, energy metabolism, and intracellularity.

Comprehensive and Functional Analysis of Horizontal Gene Transfer Events in Diatoms

Diatoms are a diverse group of mainly photosynthetic algae, responsible for 20% of worldwide oxygen production, which can rapidly respond to favorable conditions and often outcompete other phytoplankton. We investigated the contribution of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) to its ecological success. A large-scale phylogeny-based prokaryotic HGT detection procedure across nine sequenced diatoms showed that 3-5% of their proteome has a horizontal origin and a large influx occurred at the ancestor of diatoms. More than 90% of HGT genes are expressed, and species-specific HGT genes in Phaeodactylum tricornutum undergo strong purifying selection. Genes derived from HGT are implicated in several processes including environmental sensing and expand the metabolic toolbox. Cobalamin (vitamin B12) is an essential cofactor for roughly half of the diatoms and is only produced by bacteria. Five consecutive genes involved in the final synthesis of the cobalamin biosynthetic pathway, which could function as scavenging and repair genes, were detected as HGT. The full suite of these genes was detected in the cold-adapted diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus. This might give diatoms originating from the Southern Ocean, a region typically depleted in cobalamin, a competitive advantage. Overall, we show that HGT is a prevalent mechanism that is actively used in diatoms to expand its adaptive capabilities.

Experimentally Validated Reconstruction and Analysis of a Genome-Scale Metabolic Model of an Anaerobic Neocallimastigomycota Fungus

Anaerobic gut fungi in the phylum Neocallimastigomycota typically inhabit the digestive tracts of large mammalian herbivores, where they play an integral role in the decomposition of raw lignocellulose into its constitutive sugar monomers. However, quantitative tools to study their physiology are lacking, partially due to their complex and unresolved metabolism that includes the largely uncharacterized fungal hydrogenosome. Modern omics approaches combined with metabolic modeling can be used to establish an understanding of gut fungal metabolism and develop targeted engineering strategies to harness their degradation capabilities for lignocellulosic bioprocessing. Here, we introduce a high-quality genome of the anaerobic fungus Neocallimastix lanati from which we constructed the first genome-scale metabolic model of an anaerobic fungus. Relative to its size (200 Mbp, sequenced at 62× depth), it is the least fragmented publicly available gut fungal genome to date. Of the 1,788 lignocellulolytic enzymes annotated in the genome, 585 are associated with the fungal cellulosome, underscoring the powerful lignocellulolytic potential of N. lanati. The genome-scale metabolic model captures the primary metabolism of N. lanati and accurately predicts experimentally validated substrate utilization requirements. Additionally, metabolic flux predictions are verified by ¹³C metabolic flux analysis, demonstrating that the model faithfully describes the underlying fungal metabolism. Furthermore, the model clarifies key aspects of the hydrogenosomal metabolism and can be used as a platform to quantitatively study these biotechnologically important yet poorly understood early-branching fungi.

IMPORTANCE Recent genomic analyses have revealed that anaerobic gut fungi possess both the largest number and highest diversity of lignocellulolytic enzymes of all sequenced fungi, explaining their ability to decompose lignocellulosic substrates, e.g., agricultural waste, into fermentable sugars. Despite their potential, the development of engineering methods for these organisms has been slow due to their complex life cycle, understudied metabolism, and challenging anaerobic culture requirements. Currently, there is no framework that can be used to combine multi-omic data sets to understand their physiology. Here, we introduce a high-quality PacBio-sequenced genome of the anaerobic gut fungus Neocallimastix lanati. Beyond identifying a trove of lignocellulolytic enzymes, we use this genome to construct the first genome-scale metabolic model of an anaerobic gut fungus. The model is experimentally validated and sheds light on unresolved metabolic features common to gut fungi. Model-guided analysis will pave the way for deepening our understanding of anaerobic gut fungi and provides a systematic framework to guide strain engineering efforts of these organisms for biotechnological use.

Diversity of electron transport chains in anaerobic protists

Eukaryotic microbes (protists) that occupy low-oxygen environments often have drastically different mitochondrial metabolism compared to their aerobic relatives. A common theme among many anaerobic protists is the serial loss of components of the electron transport chain (ETC). Here, we discuss the diversity of the ETC across the tree of eukaryotes and review hypotheses for how ETCs are modified, and ultimately lost, in protists. We find that while protists have converged to some of the same metabolism as anaerobic animals, there are clear protist-specific strategies to thrive without oxygen.

Formate Utilization by the Crenarchaeon Desulfurococcus amylolyticus

Formate is one of the key compounds of the microbial carbon and/or energy metabolism. It owes a significant contribution to various anaerobic syntrophic associations, and may become one of the energy storage compounds of modern energy biotechnology. Microbial growth on formate was demonstrated for different bacteria and archaea, but not yet for species of the archaeal phylum Crenarchaeota. Here, we show that Desulfurococcus amylolyticus DSM 16532, an anaerobic and hyperthermophilic Crenarchaeon, metabolises formate without the production of molecular hydrogen. Growth, substrate uptake, and production kinetics on formate, glucose, and glucose/formate mixtures exhibited similar specific growth rates and similar final cell densities. A whole cell conversion experiment on formate revealed that D. amylolyticus converts formate into carbon dioxide, acetate, citrate, and ethanol. Using bioinformatic analysis, we examined whether one of the currently known and postulated formate utilisation pathways could be operative in D. amylolyticus. This analysis indicated the possibility that D. amylolyticus uses formaldehyde producing enzymes for the assimilation of formate. Therefore, we propose that formate might be assimilated into biomass through formaldehyde dehydrogenase and the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway. These findings shed new light on the metabolic versatility of the archaeal phylum Crenarchaeota.

Multilayered horizontal operon transfers from bacteria reconstruct a thiamine salvage pathway in yeasts

Horizontal acquisition of bacterial genes is presently recognized as an important contribution to the adaptation and evolution of eukaryotic genomes. However, the mechanisms underlying expression and consequent selection and fixation of the prokaryotic genes in the new eukaryotic setting are largely unknown. Here we show that genes composing the pathway for the synthesis of the essential vitamin B1 (thiamine) were lost in an ancestor of a yeast lineage, the Wickerhamiella/Starmerella (W/S) clade, known to harbor an unusually large number of genes of alien origin. The thiamine pathway was subsequently reassembled, at least twice, by multiple HGT events from different bacterial donors involving both single genes and entire operons. In the W/S-clade species Starmerella bombicola we obtained direct genetic evidence that all bacterial genes of the thiamine pathway are functional. The reconstructed pathway is composed by yeast and bacterial genes operating coordinately to scavenge thiamine derivatives from the environment. The adaptation of the newly acquired operons to the eukaryotic setting involved a repertoire of mechanisms until now only sparsely documented, namely longer intergenic regions, post-horizontal gene transfer (HGT) gene fusions fostering coordinated expression, gene relocation, and possibly recombination generating mosaic genes. The results provide additional evidence that HGT occurred recurrently in this yeast lineage and was crucial for the reestablishment of lost functions and that similar mechanisms are used across a broad range of eukaryotic microbes to promote adaptation of prokaryotic genes to their new environment.

Adaptation to life on land at high O2 via transition from ferredoxin-to NADH-dependent redox balance

Pyruvate : ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFO) and iron only hydrogenase ([Fe]-HYD) are common enzymes among eukaryotic microbes that inhabit anaerobic niches. Their function is to maintain redox balance by donating electrons from food oxidation via ferredoxin (Fd) to protons, generating H₂ as a waste product. Operating in series, they constitute a soluble electron transport chain of one-electron transfers between FeS clusters. They fulfil the same function—redox balance—served by two electron-transfers in the NADH- and O₂-dependent respiratory chains of mitochondria. Although they possess O₂-sensitive FeS clusters, PFO, Fd and [Fe]-HYD are also present among numerous algae that produce O₂. The evolutionary persistence of these enzymes among eukaryotic aerobes is traditionally explained as adaptation to facultative anaerobic growth. Here, we show that algae express enzymes of anaerobic energy metabolism at ambient O₂ levels (21% v/v), Chlamydomonas reinhardtii expresses them with diurnal regulation. High O₂ environments arose on Earth only approximately 450 million years ago. Gene presence/absence and gene expression data indicate that during the transition to high O₂ environments and terrestrialization, diverse algal lineages retained enzymes of Fd-dependent one-electron-based redox balance, while the land plant and land animal lineages underwent irreversible specialization to redox balance involving the O₂-insensitive two-electron carrier NADH.

Energy metabolism in anaerobic eukaryotes and Earth's late oxygenation

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

Relationship between acyl-lipid and sterol metabolisms in diatoms

Diatoms are a phylum of unicellular photosynthetic eukaryotes living in oceans and fresh waters, characterized by the complexity of their plastid, resulting from a secondary endosymbiosis event. In the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, fatty acids (FAs) are synthesized from acetyl-CoA in the stroma of the plastid, producing palmitic acid. FAs are elongated and desaturated to form very-long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) in domains of the endomembrane system that need to be identified. Synthesis of VLC-PUFAs is coupled with their import to the core of the plastid via the so-called "omega" pathway. The biosynthesis of sterols in diatoms is likely to be localized in the endoplasmic reticulum as well as using precursors deriving from the mevalonate pathway, using acetyl-CoA as initial substrate. These metabolic modules can be characterized functionally by genetic analyzes or chemical treatments with appropriate inhibitors. Some 'metabolic modules' are characterized by a very low level of metabolic intermediates. Since some chemical treatments or genetic perturbation of lipid metabolism induce the accumulation of these intermediates, channeling processes are possibly involved, suggesting that protein-protein interactions might occur between enzymes within large size complexes or metabolons. At the junction of these modules, metabolic intermediates might therefore play dramatic roles in directing carbon fluxes from one direction to another. Here, acetyl-CoA seems determinant in the balance between TAGs and sterols. Future lines of research and potential utilization for biotechnological applications are discussed.

The Origin and Diversification of Mitochondria

Mitochondria are best known for their role in the generation of ATP by aerobic respiration. Yet, research in the past half century has shown that they perform a much larger suite of functions and that these functions can vary substantially among diverse eukaryotic lineages. Despite this diversity, all mitochondria derive from a common ancestral organelle that originated from the integration of an endosymbiotic alphaproteobacterium into a host cell related to Asgard Archaea. The transition from endosymbiotic bacterium to permanent organelle entailed a massive number of evolutionary changes including the origins of hundreds of new genes and a protein import system, insertion of membrane transporters, integration of metabolism and reproduction, genome reduction, endosymbiotic gene transfer, lateral gene transfer and the retargeting of proteins. These changes occurred incrementally as the endosymbiont and the host became integrated. Although many insights into this transition have been gained, controversy persists regarding the nature of the original endosymbiont, its initial interactions with the host and the timing of its integration relative to the origin of other features of eukaryote cells. Since the establishment of the organelle, proteins have been gained, lost, transferred and retargeted as mitochondria have specialized into the spectrum of functional types seen across the eukaryotic tree of life.

Rethinking the evolution of eukaryotic metabolism: novel cellular partitioning of enzymes in stramenopiles links serine biosynthesis to glycolysis in mitochondria

Background

An important feature of eukaryotic evolution is metabolic compartmentalization, in which certain pathways are restricted to the cytosol or specific organelles. Glycolysis in eukaryotes is described as a cytosolic process. The universality of this canon has been challenged by recent genome data that suggest that some glycolytic enzymes made by stramenopiles bear mitochondrial targeting peptides.

Results

Mining of oomycete, diatom, and brown algal genomes indicates that stramenopiles encode two forms of enzymes for the second half of glycolysis, one with and the other without mitochondrial targeting peptides. The predicted mitochondrial targeting was confirmed by using fluorescent tags to localize phosphoglycerate kinase, phosphoglycerate mutase, and pyruvate kinase in Phytophthora infestans, the oomycete that causes potato blight. A genome-wide search for other enzymes with atypical mitochondrial locations identified phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, phosphoserine aminotransferase, and phosphoserine phosphatase, which form a pathway for generating serine from the glycolytic intermediate 3-phosphoglycerate. Fluorescent tags confirmed the delivery of these serine biosynthetic enzymes to P. infestans mitochondria. A cytosolic form of this serine biosynthetic pathway, which occurs in most eukaryotes, is missing from oomycetes and most other stramenopiles. The glycolysis and serine metabolism pathways of oomycetes appear to be mosaics of enzymes with different ancestries. While some of the noncanonical oomycete mitochondrial enzymes have the closest affinity in phylogenetic analyses with proteins from other stramenopiles, others cluster with bacterial, plant, or animal proteins. The genes encoding the mitochondrial phosphoglycerate kinase and serine-forming enzymes are physically linked on oomycete chromosomes, which suggests a shared origin.

Conclusions

Stramenopile metabolism appears to have been shaped through the acquisition of genes by descent and lateral or endosymbiotic gene transfer, along with the targeting of the proteins to locations that are novel compared to other eukaryotes. Colocalization of the glycolytic and serine biosynthesis enzymes in mitochondria is apparently necessary since they share a common intermediate. The results indicate that descriptions of metabolism in textbooks do not cover the full diversity of eukaryotic biology.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-017-1087-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Origin of the Reductive Tricarboxylic Acid (rTCA) Cycle-Type CO2 Fixation: A Perspective

The reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle is among the most plausible candidates for the first autotrophic metabolism in the earliest life. Extant enzymes fixing CO₂ in this cycle contain cofactors at the catalytic centers, but it is unlikely that the protein/cofactor system emerged at once in a prebiotic process. Here, we discuss the feasibility of non-enzymatic cofactor-assisted drive of the rTCA reactions in the primitive Earth environments, particularly focusing on the acetyl-CoA conversion to pyruvate. Based on the energetic and mechanistic aspects of this reaction, we propose that the deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments with active electricity generation in the presence of various sulfide catalysts are a promising setting for it to progress. Our view supports the theory of an autotrophic origin of life from primordial carbon assimilation within a sulfide-rich hydrothermal vent.

Lateral gene transfer of p-cresol- and indole-producing enzymes from environmental bacteria to Mastigamoeba balamuthi

p-Cresol and indole are volatile biologically active products of the bacterial degradation of tyrosine and tryptophan respectively. They are typically produced by bacteria in animal intestines, soil and various sediments. Here, we demonstrate that the free-living eukaryote Mastigamoeba balamuthi and its pathogenic relative Entamoeba histolytica produce significant amounts of indole via tryptophanase activity. Unexpectedly, M. balamuthi also produces p-cresol in concentrations that are bacteriostatic to non-p-cresol-producing bacteria. The ability of M. balamuthi to produce p-cresol, which has not previously been observed in any eukaryotic microbe, was gained due to the lateral acquisition of a bacterial gene for 4-hydroxyphenylacetate decarboxylase (HPAD). In bacteria, the genes for HPAD and the S-adenosylmethionine-dependent activating enzyme (AE) are present in a common operon. In M. balamuthi, HPAD displays a unique fusion with the AE that suggests the operon-mediated transfer of genes from a bacterial donor. We also clarified that the tyrosine-to-4-hydroxyphenylacetate conversion proceeds via the Ehrlich pathway. The acquisition of the bacterial HPAD gene may provide M. balamuthi a competitive advantage over other microflora in its native habitat.

Formate Assimilation: The Metabolic Architecture of Natural and Synthetic Pathways

Formate may become an ideal mediator between the physicochemical and biological realms, as it can be produced efficiently from multiple available sources, such as electricity and biomass, and serve as one of the simplest organic compounds for providing both carbon and energy to living cells. However, limiting the realization of formate as a microbial feedstock is the low diversity of formate-fixing enzymes and thereby the small number of naturally occurring formate-assimilation pathways. Here, the natural enzymes and pathways supporting formate assimilation are presented and discussed together with proposed synthetic routes that could permit growth on formate via existing as well as novel formate-fixing reactions. By considering such synthetic routes, the diversity of metabolic solutions for formate assimilation can be expanded dramatically, such that different host organisms, cultivation conditions, and desired products could be matched with the most suitable pathway. Astute application of old and new formate-assimilation pathways may thus become a cornerstone in the development of sustainable strategies for microbial production of value-added chemicals.

Novel Hydrogenosomes in the Microaerophilic Jakobid Stygiella incarcerata

Mitochondrion-related organelles (MROs) have arisen independently in a wide range of anaerobic protist lineages. Only a few of these organelles and their functions have been investigated in detail, and most of what is known about MROs comes from studies of parasitic organisms such as the parabasalid Trichomonas vaginalis. Here, we describe the MRO of a free-living anaerobic jakobid excavate, Stygiella incarcerata. We report an RNAseq-based reconstruction of S. incarcerata’s MRO proteome, with an associated biochemical map of the pathways predicted to be present in this organelle. The pyruvate metabolism and oxidative stress response pathways are strikingly similar to those found in the MROs of other anaerobic protists, such as Pygsuia and Trichomonas. This elegant example of convergent evolution is suggestive of an anaerobic biochemical ‘module’ of prokaryotic origins that has been laterally transferred among eukaryotes, enabling them to adapt rapidly to anaerobiosis. We also identified genes corresponding to a variety of mitochondrial processes not found in Trichomonas, including intermembrane space components of the mitochondrial protein import apparatus, and enzymes involved in amino acid metabolism and cardiolipin biosynthesis. In this respect, the MROs of S. incarcerata more closely resemble those of the much more distantly related free-living organisms Pygsuia biforma and Cantina marsupialis, likely reflecting these organisms’ shared lifestyle as free-living anaerobes.

Pyruvate Formate-Lyase Enables Efficient Growth of Escherichia coli on Acetate and Formate

Pyruvate formate-lyase (PFL) is a ubiquitous enzyme that supports increased ATP yield during sugar fermentation. While the PFL reaction is known to be reversible in vitro, the ability of PFL to support microbial growth by condensing acetyl-CoA and formate in vivo has never been directly tested. Here, we employ Escherichia coli mutant strains that cannot assimilate acetate via the glyoxylate shunt and use carbon labeling experiments to unequivocally demonstrate PFL-dependent co-assimilation of acetate and formate. Moreover, PFL-dependent growth is faster than growth on acetate using the glyoxylate shunt. Hence, growth via the reverse activity of PFL could have substantial ecological and biotechnological significance.

Engineering cytosolic acetyl-coenzyme A supply in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Pathway stoichiometry, free-energy conservation and redox-cofactor balancing

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an important industrial cell factory and an attractive experimental model for evaluating novel metabolic engineering strategies. Many current and potential products of this yeast require acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) as a precursor and pathways towards these products are generally expressed in its cytosol. The native S. cerevisiae pathway for production of cytosolic acetyl-CoA consumes 2 ATP equivalents in the acetyl-CoA synthetase reaction. Catabolism of additional sugar substrate, which may be required to generate this ATP, negatively affects product yields. Here, we review alternative pathways that can be engineered into yeast to optimize supply of cytosolic acetyl-CoA as a precursor for product formation. Particular attention is paid to reaction stoichiometry, free-energy conservation and redox-cofactor balancing of alternative pathways for acetyl-CoA synthesis from glucose. A theoretical analysis of maximally attainable yields on glucose of four compounds (n-butanol, citric acid, palmitic acid and farnesene) showed a strong product dependency of the optimal pathway configuration for acetyl-CoA synthesis. Moreover, this analysis showed that combination of different acetyl-CoA production pathways may be required to achieve optimal product yields. This review underlines that an integral analysis of energy coupling and redox-cofactor balancing in precursor-supply and product-formation pathways is crucial for the design of efficient cell factories.

Diversity and origins of anaerobic metabolism in mitochondria and related organelles

Across the diversity of life, organisms have evolved different strategies to thrive in hypoxic environments, and microbial eukaryotes (protists) are no exception. Protists that experience hypoxia often possess metabolically distinct mitochondria called mitochondrion-related organelles (MROs). While there are some common metabolic features shared between the MROs of distantly related protists, these organelles have evolved independently multiple times across the breadth of eukaryotic diversity. Until recently, much of our knowledge regarding the metabolic potential of different MROs was limited to studies in parasitic lineages. Over the past decade, deep-sequencing studies of free-living anaerobic protists have revealed novel configurations of metabolic pathways that have been co-opted for life in low oxygen environments. Here, we provide recent examples of anaerobic metabolism in the MROs of free-living protists and their parasitic relatives. Additionally, we outline evolutionary scenarios to explain the origins of these anaerobic pathways in eukaryotes.

Lateral gene transfer and gene duplication played a key role in the evolution of Mastigamoeba balamuthi hydrogenosomes

Lateral gene transfer (LGT) is an important mechanism of evolution for protists adapting to oxygen-poor environments. Specifically, modifications of energy metabolism in anaerobic forms of mitochondria (e.g., hydrogenosomes) are likely to have been associated with gene transfer from prokaryotes. An interesting question is whether the products of transferred genes were directly targeted into the ancestral organelle or initially operated in the cytosol and subsequently acquired organelle-targeting sequences. Here, we identified key enzymes of hydrogenosomal metabolism in the free-living anaerobic amoebozoan Mastigamoeba balamuthi and analyzed their cellular localizations, enzymatic activities, and evolutionary histories. Additionally, we characterized 1) several canonical mitochondrial components including respiratory complex II and the glycine cleavage system, 2) enzymes associated with anaerobic energy metabolism, including an unusual D-lactate dehydrogenase and acetyl CoA synthase, and 3) a sulfate activation pathway. Intriguingly, components of anaerobic energy metabolism are present in at least two gene copies. For each component, one copy possesses an mitochondrial targeting sequence (MTS), whereas the other lacks an MTS, yielding parallel cytosolic and hydrogenosomal extended glycolysis pathways. Experimentally, we confirmed that the organelle targeting of several proteins is fully dependent on the MTS. Phylogenetic analysis of all extended glycolysis components suggested that these components were acquired by LGT. We propose that the transformation from an ancestral organelle to a hydrogenosome in the M. balamuthi lineage involved the lateral acquisition of genes encoding extended glycolysis enzymes that initially operated in the cytosol and that established a parallel hydrogenosomal pathway after gene duplication and MTS acquisition.

Microbial acetyl-CoA metabolism and metabolic engineering

Recent concerns over the sustainability of petrochemical-based processes for production of desired chemicals have fueled research into alternative modes of production. Metabolic engineering of microbial cell factories such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli offers a sustainable and flexible alternative for the production of various molecules. Acetyl-CoA is a key molecule in microbial central carbon metabolism and is involved in a variety of cellular processes. In addition, it functions as a precursor for many molecules of biotechnological relevance. Therefore, much interest exists in engineering the metabolism around the acetyl-CoA pools in cells in order to increase product titers. Here we provide an overview of the acetyl-CoA metabolism in eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbes (with a focus on S. cerevisiae and E. coli), with an emphasis on reactions involved in the production and consumption of acetyl-CoA. In addition, we review various strategies that have been used to increase acetyl-CoA production in these microbes.

The tangled past of eukaryotic enzymes involved in anaerobic metabolism

There is little doubt that genes can spread across unrelated prokaryotes, eukaryotes and even between these domains. It is expected that organisms inhabiting a common niche may exchange their genes even more often due to their physical proximity and similar demands. One such niche is anaerobic or microaerophilic environments in some sediments and intestines of animals. Indeed, enzymes advantageous for metabolism in these environments often exhibit an evolutionary history incoherent with the history of their hosts indicating potential transfers. The evolutionary paths of some very basic enzymes for energy metabolism of anaerobic eukaryotes (pyruvate formate lyase, pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase, [FeFe]hydrogenase and arginine deiminase) seems to be particularly intriguing and although their histories are not identical they share several unexpected features in common. Every enzyme mentioned above is present in groups of eukaryotes that are unrelated to each other. Although the enzyme phylogenies are not always robustly supported, they always suggest that the eukaryotic homologues form one or two clades, in which the relationships are not congruent with the eukaryotic phylogeny. Finally, these eukaryotic enzymes are never specifically related to homologues from α-proteobacteria, ancestors of mitochondria. The most plausible explanation for evolution of this pattern expects one or two interdomain transfers to one or two eukaryotes from prokaryotes, who were not the mitochondrial endosymbiont. Once the genes were introduced into the eukaryotic domain they have spread to other eukaryotic groups exclusively via eukaryote-to-eukaryote transfers. Currently, eukaryote-to-eukaryote gene transfers have been regarded as less common than prokaryote-to-eukaryote transfers. The fact that eukaryotes accepted genes for these enzymes solely from other eukaryotes and not prokaryotes present in the same environment is surprising.

Of early animals, anaerobic mitochondria, and a modern sponge

The origin and early evolution of animals marks an important event in life's history. This event is historically associated with an important variable in Earth history - oxygen. One view has it that an increase in oceanic oxygen levels at the end of the Neoproterozoic Era (roughly 600 million years ago) allowed animals to become large and leave fossils. How important was oxygen for the process of early animal evolution? New data show that some modern sponges can survive for several weeks at low oxygen levels. Many groups of animals have mechanisms to cope with low oxygen or anoxia, and very often, mitochondria - organelles usually associated with oxygen - are involved in anaerobic energy metabolism in animals. It is a good time to refresh our memory about the anaerobic capacities of mitochondria in modern animals and how that might relate to the ecology of early metazoans.

A SUF Fe-S cluster biogenesis system in the mitochondrion-related organelles of the anaerobic protist Pygsuia

BACKGROUND

Many microbial eukaryotes have evolved anaerobic alternatives to mitochondria known as mitochondrion-related organelles (MROs). Yet, only a few of these have been experimentally investigated. Here we report an RNA-seq-based reconstruction of the MRO proteome of Pygsuia biforma, an anaerobic representative of an unexplored deep-branching eukaryotic lineage.

RESULTS

Pygsuia's MRO has a completely novel suite of functions, defying existing "function-based" organelle classifications. Most notable is the replacement of the mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster machinery by an archaeal sulfur mobilization (SUF) system acquired via lateral gene transfer (LGT). Using immunolocalization in Pygsuia and heterologous expression in yeast, we show that the SUF system does indeed localize to the MRO. The Pygsuia MRO also possesses a unique assemblage of features, including: cardiolipin, phosphonolipid, amino acid, and fatty acid metabolism; a partial Kreb's cycle; a reduced respiratory chain; and a laterally acquired rhodoquinone (RQ) biosynthesis enzyme. The latter observation suggests that RQ is an electron carrier of a fumarate reductase-type complex II in this MRO.

CONCLUSIONS

The unique functional profile of this MRO underscores the tremendous plasticity of mitochondrial function within eukaryotes and showcases the role of LGT in forging metabolic mosaics of ancestral and newly acquired organellar pathways.

Proteomic approach to reveal the proteins associated with encystment of the ciliate Euplotes encysticus

In order to identify and reveal the proteins related to encystment of the ciliate Euplotes encysticus, we analyzed variation in the abundance of the proteins isolated from the resting cyst comparing with proteins in the vegetative cell. 2-D electrophoresis, MALDI-TOF MS techniques and Bioinformatics were used for proteome separation, quantification and identification. The comparative proteomics studies revealed 26 proteins with changes on the expression in the resting cysts, including 12 specific proteins and 14 differential proteins. 12 specific proteins and 10 out of the 14 differential proteins were selected and identified by MALDI-TOF MS. The identified specific proteins with known functions included type II cytoskeletal 1, keratin, Nop16 domain containing protein, protein arginine n-methyltransferase, epsilon-trimethyllysine hydroxylase and calpain-like protein. The identified differential proteins with known functions included Lysozyme C, keratinocyte growth factor, lysozyme homolog AT-2, formate acetyltransferase, alpha S1 casein and cold-shock protein. We discussed the functions of these proteins as well as their contribution in the process of encystment. These identified proteins covered a wide range of molecular functions, including gene regulation, RNA regulation, proteins degradation and oxidation resistance, stress response, material transport and cytoskeleton organization. Therefore, differential expression of these proteins was essential for cell morphological and physiological changes during encystment. This suggested that the peculiar proteins and differential proteins might play important roles in the process of the vegetative cells transforming into the resting cysts. These observations may be novel findings that bring new insights into the detailed mechanisms of dormancy.

A broad genomic survey reveals multiple origins and frequent losses in the evolution of respiratory hemerythrins and hemocyanins

Hemerythrins and hemocyanins are respiratory proteins present in some of the most ecologically diverse animal lineages; however, the precise evolutionary history of their enzymatic domains (hemerythrin, hemocyanin M, and tyrosinase) is still not well understood. We survey a wide dataset of prokaryote and eukaryote genomes and RNAseq data to reconstruct the phylogenetic origins of these proteins. We identify new species with hemerythrin, hemocyanin M, and tyrosinase domains in their genomes, particularly within animals, and demonstrate that the current distribution of respiratory proteins is due to several events of lateral gene transfer and/or massive gene loss. We conclude that the last common metazoan ancestor had at least two hemerythrin domains, one hemocyanin M domain, and six tyrosinase domains. The patchy distribution of these proteins among animal lineages can be partially explained by physiological adaptations, making these genes good targets for investigations into the interplay between genomic evolution and physiological constraints.

Replacement of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae acetyl-CoA synthetases by alternative pathways for cytosolic acetyl-CoA synthesis

Cytosolic acetyl-coenzyme A is a precursor for many biotechnologically relevant compounds produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this yeast, cytosolic acetyl-CoA synthesis and growth strictly depend on expression of either the Acs1 or Acs2 isoenzyme of acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS). Since hydrolysis of ATP to AMP and pyrophosphate in the ACS reaction constrains maximum yields of acetyl-CoA-derived products, this study explores replacement of ACS by two ATP-independent pathways for acetyl-CoA synthesis. After evaluating expression of different bacterial genes encoding acetylating acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (A-ALD) and pyruvate-formate lyase (PFL), acs1Δ acs2Δ S. cerevisiae strains were constructed in which A-ALD or PFL successfully replaced ACS. In A-ALD-dependent strains, aerobic growth rates of up to 0.27 h(-1) were observed, while anaerobic growth rates of PFL-dependent S. cerevisiae (0.20 h(-1)) were stoichiometrically coupled to formate production. In glucose-limited chemostat cultures, intracellular metabolite analysis did not reveal major differences between A-ALD-dependent and reference strains. However, biomass yields on glucose of A-ALD- and PFL-dependent strains were lower than those of the reference strain. Transcriptome analysis suggested that reduced biomass yields were caused by acetaldehyde and formate in A-ALD- and PFL-dependent strains, respectively. Transcript profiles also indicated that a previously proposed role of Acs2 in histone acetylation is probably linked to cytosolic acetyl-CoA levels rather than to direct involvement of Acs2 in histone acetylation. While demonstrating that yeast ACS can be fully replaced, this study demonstrates that further modifications are needed to achieve optimal in vivo performance of the alternative reactions for supply of cytosolic acetyl-CoA as a product precursor.

Evidence for a hydrogenosomal-type anaerobic ATP generation pathway in Acanthamoeba castellanii

Diverse, distantly-related eukaryotic lineages have adapted to low-oxygen environments, and possess mitochondrion-related organelles that have lost the capacity to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through oxidative phosphorylation. A subset of these organelles, hydrogenosomes, has acquired a set of characteristic ATP generation enzymes commonly found in anaerobic bacteria. The recipient of these enzymes could not have survived prior to their acquisition had it not still possessed the electron transport chain present in the ancestral mitochondrion. In the divergence of modern hydrogenosomes from mitochondria, a transitional organelle must therefore have existed that possessed both an electron transport chain and an anaerobic ATP generation pathway. Here, we report a modern analog of this organelle in the habitually aerobic opportunistic pathogen, Acanthamoeba castellanii. This organism possesses a complete set of enzymes comprising a hydrogenosome-like ATP generation pathway, each of which is predicted to be targeted to mitochondria. We have experimentally confirmed the mitochondrial localizations of key components of this pathway using tandem mass spectrometry. This evidence is the first supported by localization and proteome data of a mitochondrion possessing both an electron transport chain and hydrogenosome-like energy metabolism enzymes. Our work provides insight into the first steps that might have occurred in the course of the emergence of modern hydrogenosomes.

The mitochondrion-like organelle of Trimastix pyriformis contains the complete glycine cleavage system

All eukaryotic organisms contain mitochondria or organelles that evolved from the same endosymbiotic event like classical mitochondria. Organisms inhabiting low oxygen environments often contain mitochondrial derivates known as hydrogenosomes, mitosomes or neutrally as mitochondrion-like organelles. The detailed investigation has shown unexpected evolutionary plasticity in the biochemistry and protein composition of these organelles in various protists. We investigated the mitochondrion-like organelle in Trimastix pyriformis, a free-living member of one of the three lineages of anaerobic group Metamonada. Using 454 sequencing we have obtained 7 037 contigs from its transcriptome and on the basis of sequence homology and presence of N-terminal extensions we have selected contigs coding for proteins that putatively function in the organelle. Together with the results of a previous transcriptome survey, the list now consists of 23 proteins - mostly enzymes involved in amino acid metabolism, transporters and maturases of proteins and transporters of metabolites. We have no evidence of the production of ATP in the mitochondrion-like organelle of Trimastix but we have obtained experimental evidence for the presence of enzymes of the glycine cleavage system (GCS), which is part of amino acid metabolism. Using homologous antibody we have shown that H-protein of GCS localizes into vesicles in the cell of Trimastix. When overexpressed in yeast, H- and P-protein of GCS and cpn60 were transported into mitochondrion. In case of H-protein we have demonstrated that the first 16 amino acids are necessary for this transport. Glycine cleavage system is at the moment the only experimentally localized pathway in the mitochondrial derivate of Trimastix pyriformis.

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplasts contain a homodimeric pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase that functions with FDX1

Eukaryotic algae have long been known to live in anoxic environments, but interest in their anaerobic energy metabolism has only recently gained momentum, largely due to their utility in biofuel production. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii figures remarkably in this respect, because it efficiently produces hydrogen and its genome harbors many genes for anaerobic metabolic routes. Central to anaerobic energy metabolism in many unicellular eukaryotes (protists) is pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFO), which decarboxylates pyruvate and forms acetyl-coenzyme A with concomitant reduction of low-potential ferredoxins or flavodoxins. Here, we report the biochemical properties of the homodimeric PFO of C. reinhardtii expressed in Escherichia coli. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy of the recombinant enzyme (Cr-rPFO) showed three distinct [4Fe-4S] iron-sulfur clusters and a thiamine pyrophosphate radical upon reduction by pyruvate. Purified Cr-rPFO exhibits a specific decarboxylase activity of 12 µmol pyruvate min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ protein using benzyl viologen as electron acceptor. Despite the fact that the enzyme is very oxygen sensitive, it localizes to the chloroplast. Among the six known chloroplast ferredoxins (FDX1-FDX6) in C. reinhardtii, FDX1 and FDX2 were the most efficient electron acceptors from Cr-rPFO, with comparable apparent K(m) values of approximately 4 µm. As revealed by immunoblotting, anaerobic conditions that lead to the induction of CrPFO did not increase levels of either FDX1 or FDX2. FDX1, being by far the most abundant ferredoxin, is thus likely the partner of PFO in C. reinhardtii. This finding postulates a direct link between CrPFO and hydrogenase and provides new opportunities to better study and engineer hydrogen production in this protist.

Anaerobic energy metabolism in unicellular photosynthetic eukaryotes

Anaerobic metabolic pathways allow unicellular organisms to tolerate or colonize anoxic environments. Over the past ten years, genome sequencing projects have brought a new light on the extent of anaerobic metabolism in eukaryotes. A surprising development has been that free-living unicellular algae capable of photoautotrophic lifestyle are, in terms of their enzymatic repertoire, among the best equipped eukaryotes known when it comes to anaerobic energy metabolism. Some of these algae are marine organisms, common in the oceans, others are more typically soil inhabitants. All these species are important from the ecological (O(2)/CO(2) budget), biotechnological, and evolutionary perspectives. In the unicellular algae surveyed here, mixed-acid type fermentations are widespread while anaerobic respiration, which is more typical of eukaryotic heterotrophs, appears to be rare. The presence of a core anaerobic metabolism among the algae provides insights into its evolutionary origin, which traces to the eukaryote common ancestor. The predicted fermentative enzymes often exhibit an amino acid extension at the N-terminus, suggesting that these proteins might be compartmentalized in the cell, likely in the chloroplast or the mitochondrion. The green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Chlorella NC64 have the most extended set of fermentative enzymes reported so far. Among the eukaryotes with secondary plastids, the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana has the most pronounced anaerobic capabilities as yet. From the standpoints of genomic, transcriptomic, and biochemical studies, anaerobic energy metabolism in C. reinhardtii remains the best characterized among photosynthetic protists. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The evolutionary aspects of bioenergetic systems.

Biochemistry and evolution of anaerobic energy metabolism in eukaryotes

Major insights into the phylogenetic distribution, biochemistry, and evolutionary significance of organelles involved in ATP synthesis (energy metabolism) in eukaryotes that thrive in anaerobic environments for all or part of their life cycles have accrued in recent years. All known eukaryotic groups possess an organelle of mitochondrial origin, mapping the origin of mitochondria to the eukaryotic common ancestor, and genome sequence data are rapidly accumulating for eukaryotes that possess anaerobic mitochondria, hydrogenosomes, or mitosomes. Here we review the available biochemical data on the enzymes and pathways that eukaryotes use in anaerobic energy metabolism and summarize the metabolic end products that they generate in their anaerobic habitats, focusing on the biochemical roles that their mitochondria play in anaerobic ATP synthesis. We present metabolic maps of compartmentalized energy metabolism for 16 well-studied species. There are currently no enzymes of core anaerobic energy metabolism that are specific to any of the six eukaryotic supergroup lineages; genes present in one supergroup are also found in at least one other supergroup. The gene distribution across lineages thus reflects the presence of anaerobic energy metabolism in the eukaryote common ancestor and differential loss during the specialization of some lineages to oxic niches, just as oxphos capabilities have been differentially lost in specialization to anoxic niches and the parasitic life-style. Some facultative anaerobes have retained both aerobic and anaerobic pathways. Diversified eukaryotic lineages have retained the same enzymes of anaerobic ATP synthesis, in line with geochemical data indicating low environmental oxygen levels while eukaryotes arose and diversified.

A microscopic description and ultrastructural characterisation of Dientamoeba fragilis: an emerging cause of human enteric disease

Dientamoeba fragilis is a pathogenic trichomonad found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and is implicated as a cause of diarrhoea. Despite its discovery over a century ago, there has been no recent thorough description of this parasite by microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, confocal and light microscopy were therefore used to characterise D. fragilis populations growing in xenic culture. Two different populations - smooth and ruffled cells - were identifiable by scanning electron microscopy. No flagella, pelta structures, undulating membrane or pseudocyst-like forms were present. The organelles in D. fragilis were analysed by transmission electron microscopy; like Trichomonas and Histomonas, D. fragilis contains hydrogenosomes that presumably represent the site of anaerobic respiration. The nuclear morphology of D. fragilis trophozoites grown in vitro and trophozoites from clinical isolates were also compared by confocal microscopy and light microscopy. The majority of cells grown in culture were mononucleate while most cells in permanent stained faecal smears were binucleate. The two nuclei of D. fragilis are morphologically indistinguishable and contain equivalent amounts of DNA as determined by DAPI staining. The approximate cell and nuclear volume of four isolates of D. fragilis were measured and shown to be comparable to other trichomonads. In addition, the discovery of a virus-like particle is reported, to our knowledge for the first time in D. fragilis. This study therefore provides extensive and novel details of the ultrastructure of a neglected protozoan parasite that is an emerging cause of human disease.

Early evolution without a tree of life

Life is a chemical reaction. Three major transitions in early evolution are considered without recourse to a tree of life. The origin of prokaryotes required a steady supply of energy and electrons, probably in the form of molecular hydrogen stemming from serpentinization. Microbial genome evolution is not a treelike process because of lateral gene transfer and the endosymbiotic origins of organelles. The lack of true intermediates in the prokaryote-to-eukaryote transition has a bioenergetic cause.

This article was reviewed by Dan Graur, W. Ford Doolittle, Eugene V. Koonin and Christophe Malaterre.