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Zhou Y, Yan A, Yang J, He W, Guo S, Li Y, Wu J, Dai Y, Pan X, Cui D, Pereira O, Teng W, Bi R, Chen S, Fan L, Wang P, Liao Y, Qin W, Sui SF, Zhu Y, Zhang C, Liu Z. Ultrastructural insights into cellular organization, energy storage and ribosomal dynamics of an ammonia-oxidizing archaeon from oligotrophic oceans. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1367658. [PMID: 38737410 PMCID: PMC11082331 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1367658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Nitrososphaeria, formerly known as Thaumarchaeota, constitute a diverse and widespread group of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) inhabiting ubiquitously in marine and terrestrial environments, playing a pivotal role in global nitrogen cycling. Despite their importance in Earth's ecosystems, the cellular organization of AOA remains largely unexplored, leading to a significant unanswered question of how the machinery of these organisms underpins metabolic functions. Methods In this study, we combined spherical-chromatic-aberration-corrected cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to unveil the cellular organization and elemental composition of Nitrosopumilus maritimus SCM1, a representative member of marine Nitrososphaeria. Results and Discussion Our tomograms show the native ultrastructural morphology of SCM1 and one to several dense storage granules in the cytoplasm. STEM-EDS analysis identifies two types of storage granules: one type is possibly composed of polyphosphate and the other polyhydroxyalkanoate. With precise measurements using cryo-ET, we observed low quantity and density of ribosomes in SCM1 cells, which are in alignment with the documented slow growth of AOA in laboratory cultures. Collectively, these findings provide visual evidence supporting the resilience of AOA in the vast oligotrophic marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangkai Zhou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - An Yan
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiawen Yang
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Wei He
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Shuai Guo
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yifan Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jing Wu
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanchao Dai
- Shanghai NanoPort, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Xijiang Pan
- Shanghai NanoPort, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Dongyu Cui
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Olivier Pereira
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Institut AMU-WUT, Aix-Marseille Université and Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Wenkai Teng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Ran Bi
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Songze Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Lu Fan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Peiyi Wang
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan Liao
- Australian Institute for Microbiology & Infection, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Wei Qin
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
| | - Sen-Fang Sui
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structures, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanqing Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Shanghai Sheshan National Geophysical Observatory, Shanghai, China
| | - Chuanlun Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Shanghai Sheshan National Geophysical Observatory, Shanghai, China
- Advanced Institute for Ocean Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Zheng Liu
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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Makarova KS, Tobiasson V, Wolf YI, Lu Z, Liu Y, Zhang S, Krupovic M, Li M, Koonin EV. Diversity, origin, and evolution of the ESCRT systems. mBio 2024; 15:e0033524. [PMID: 38380930 PMCID: PMC10936438 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00335-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) play key roles in protein sorting between membrane-bounded compartments of eukaryotic cells. Homologs of many ESCRT components are identifiable in various groups of archaea, especially in Asgardarchaeota, the archaeal phylum that is currently considered to include the closest relatives of eukaryotes, but not in bacteria. We performed a comprehensive search for ESCRT protein homologs in archaea and reconstructed ESCRT evolution using the phylogenetic tree of Vps4 ATPase (ESCRT IV) as a scaffold and using sensitive protein sequence analysis and comparison of structural models to identify previously unknown ESCRT proteins. Several distinct groups of ESCRT systems in archaea outside of Asgard were identified, including proteins structurally similar to ESCRT-I and ESCRT-II, and several other domains involved in protein sorting in eukaryotes, suggesting an early origin of these components. Additionally, distant homologs of CdvA proteins were identified in Thermoproteales which are likely components of the uncharacterized cell division system in these archaea. We propose an evolutionary scenario for the origin of eukaryotic and Asgard ESCRT complexes from ancestral building blocks, namely, the Vps4 ATPase, ESCRT-III components, wH (winged helix-turn-helix fold) and possibly also coiled-coil, and Vps28-like domains. The last archaeal common ancestor likely encompassed a complex ESCRT system that was involved in protein sorting. Subsequent evolution involved either simplification, as in the TACK superphylum, where ESCRT was co-opted for cell division, or complexification as in Asgardarchaeota. In Asgardarchaeota, the connection between ESCRT and the ubiquitin system that was previously considered a eukaryotic signature was already established.IMPORTANCEAll eukaryotic cells possess complex intracellular membrane organization. Endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) play a central role in membrane remodeling which is essential for cellular functionality in eukaryotes. Recently, it has been shown that Asgard archaea, the archaeal phylum that includes the closest known relatives of eukaryotes, encode homologs of many components of the ESCRT systems. We employed protein sequence and structure comparisons to reconstruct the evolution of ESCRT systems in archaea and identified several previously unknown homologs of ESCRT subunits, some of which can be predicted to participate in cell division. The results of this reconstruction indicate that the last archaeal common ancestor already encoded a complex ESCRT system that was involved in protein sorting. In Asgard archaea, ESCRT systems evolved toward greater complexity, and in particular, the connection between ESCRT and the ubiquitin system that was previously considered a eukaryotic signature was established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira S. Makarova
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Victor Tobiasson
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yuri I. Wolf
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Zhongyi Lu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Siyu Zhang
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mart Krupovic
- Archaeal Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Eugene V. Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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3
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Lu Z, Zhang S, Liu Y, Xia R, Li M. Origin of eukaryotic-like Vps23 shapes an ancient functional interplay between ESCRT and ubiquitin system in Asgard archaea. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113781. [PMID: 38358888 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Functional interplay between the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) and the ubiquitin system underlies the ubiquitin-dependent cargo-sorting pathway of the eukaryotic endomembrane system, yet its evolutionary origin remains unclear. Here, we show that a UEV-Vps23 protein family, which contains UEV and Vps23 domains, mediates an ancient ESCRT and ubiquitin system interplay in Asgard archaea. The UEV binds ubiquitin with high affinity, making the UEV-Vps23 a sensor for sorting ubiquitinated cargo. A steadiness box in the Vps23 domain undergoes ubiquitination through an Asgard E1, E2, and RING E3 cascade. The UEV-Vps23 switches between autoinhibited and active forms, regulating the ESCRT and ubiquitin system interplay. Furthermore, the shared sequence and structural homology among the UEV-Vps23, eukaryotic Vps23, and archaeal CdvA suggest a common evolutionary origin. Together, this work expands our understanding of the ancient ESCRT and ubiquitin system interplay that likely arose antedating divergent evolution between Asgard archaea and eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyi Lu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Siyu Zhang
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Runyue Xia
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
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4
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Makarova KS, Tobiasson V, Wolf YI, Lu Z, Liu Y, Zhang S, Krupovic M, Li M, Koonin EV. Diversity, Origin and Evolution of the ESCRT Systems. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.06.579148. [PMID: 38903064 PMCID: PMC11188069 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.06.579148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport (ESCRT) play key roles in protein sorting between membrane-bounded compartments of eukaryotic cells. Homologs of many ESCRT components are identifiable in various groups of archaea, especially in Asgardarchaeota, the archaeal phylum that is currently considered to include the closest relatives of eukaryotes, but not in bacteria. We performed a comprehensive search for ESCRT protein homologs in archaea and reconstructed ESCRT evolution using the phylogenetic tree of Vps4 ATPase (ESCRT IV) as a scaffold, using sensitive protein sequence analysis and comparison of structural models to identify previously unknown ESCRT proteins. Several distinct groups of ESCRT systems in archaea outside of Asgard were identified, including proteins structurally similar to ESCRT-I and ESCRT-II, and several other domains involved in protein sorting in eukaryotes, suggesting an early origin of these components. Additionally, distant homologs of CdvA proteins were identified in Thermoproteales which are likely components of the uncharacterized cell division system in these archaea. We propose an evolutionary scenario for the origin of eukaryotic and Asgard ESCRT complexes from ancestral building blocks, namely, the Vps4 ATPase, ESCRT-III components, wH (winged helix-turn-helix fold) and possibly also coiled-coil, and Vps28-like domains. The Last Archaeal Common Ancestor likely encompassed a complex ESCRT system that was involved in protein sorting. Subsequent evolution involved either simplification, as in the TACK superphylum, where ESCRT was co-opted for cell division, or complexification as in Asgardarchaeota. In Asgardarchaeota, the connection between ESCRT and the ubiquitin system that was previously considered a eukaryotic signature was already established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira S. Makarova
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Victor Tobiasson
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Yuri I. Wolf
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Zhongyi Lu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Siyu Zhang
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Mart Krupovic
- Archaeal Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
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5
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Baum B, Spang A. On the origin of the nucleus: a hypothesis. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2023; 87:e0018621. [PMID: 38018971 PMCID: PMC10732040 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00186-21] [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] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYIn this hypothesis article, we explore the origin of the eukaryotic nucleus. In doing so, we first look afresh at the nature of this defining feature of the eukaryotic cell and its core functions-emphasizing the utility of seeing the eukaryotic nucleoplasm and cytoplasm as distinct regions of a common compartment. We then discuss recent progress in understanding the evolution of the eukaryotic cell from archaeal and bacterial ancestors, focusing on phylogenetic and experimental data which have revealed that many eukaryotic machines with nuclear activities have archaeal counterparts. In addition, we review the literature describing the cell biology of representatives of the TACK and Asgardarchaeaota - the closest known living archaeal relatives of eukaryotes. Finally, bringing these strands together, we propose a model for the archaeal origin of the nucleus that explains much of the current data, including predictions that can be used to put the model to the test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Buzz Baum
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Anja Spang
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, the Netherlands
- Department of Evolutionary & Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, the Netherlands
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6
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Hurtig F, Burgers TC, Cezanne A, Jiang X, Mol FN, Traparić J, Pulschen AA, Nierhaus T, Tarrason-Risa G, Harker-Kirschneck L, Löwe J, Šarić A, Vlijm R, Baum B. The patterned assembly and stepwise Vps4-mediated disassembly of composite ESCRT-III polymers drives archaeal cell division. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade5224. [PMID: 36921039 PMCID: PMC10017037 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade5224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
ESCRT-III family proteins form composite polymers that deform and cut membrane tubes in the context of a wide range of cell biological processes across the tree of life. In reconstituted systems, sequential changes in the composition of ESCRT-III polymers induced by the AAA-adenosine triphosphatase Vps4 have been shown to remodel membranes. However, it is not known how composite ESCRT-III polymers are organized and remodeled in space and time in a cellular context. Taking advantage of the relative simplicity of the ESCRT-III-dependent division system in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, one of the closest experimentally tractable prokaryotic relatives of eukaryotes, we use super-resolution microscopy, electron microscopy, and computational modeling to show how CdvB/CdvB1/CdvB2 proteins form a precisely patterned composite ESCRT-III division ring, which undergoes stepwise Vps4-dependent disassembly and contracts to cut cells into two. These observations lead us to suggest sequential changes in a patterned composite polymer as a general mechanism of ESCRT-III-dependent membrane remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Hurtig
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Thomas C. Q. Burgers
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Alice Cezanne
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Xiuyun Jiang
- Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, The Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Frank N. Mol
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jovan Traparić
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | | | - Tim Nierhaus
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | | | - Lena Harker-Kirschneck
- University College London, Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, WC1E 6BT London, UK
| | - Jan Löwe
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Anđela Šarić
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Rifka Vlijm
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Buzz Baum
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
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7
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The archaeal Cdv cell division system. Trends Microbiol 2023; 31:601-615. [PMID: 36658033 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The Cdv system is the protein machinery that performs cell division and other membrane-deforming processes in a subset of archaea. Evolutionarily, the system is closely related to the eukaryotic ESCRT machinery, with which it shares many structural and functional similarities. Since its first description 15 years ago, the understanding of the Cdv system progressed rather slowly, but recent discoveries sparked renewed interest and insights. The emerging physical picture appears to be that CdvA acts as a membrane anchor, CdvB as a scaffold that localizes division to the mid-cell position, CdvB1 and CvdB2 as the actual constriction machinery, and CdvC as the ATPase that detaches Cdv proteins from the membrane. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the research done on Cdv and explains how this relatively understudied machinery acts to perform its cell-division function. Understanding of the Cdv system helps to better grasp the biophysics and evolution of archaea, and furthermore provides new opportunities for the bottom-up building of a divisome for synthetic cells.
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8
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van Wolferen M, Pulschen AA, Baum B, Gribaldo S, Albers SV. The cell biology of archaea. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1744-1755. [PMID: 36253512 PMCID: PMC7613921 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01215-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The past decade has revealed the diversity and ubiquity of archaea in nature, with a growing number of studies highlighting their importance in ecology, biotechnology and even human health. Myriad lineages have been discovered, which expanded the phylogenetic breadth of archaea and revealed their central role in the evolutionary origins of eukaryotes. These discoveries, coupled with advances that enable the culturing and live imaging of archaeal cells under extreme environments, have underpinned a better understanding of their biology. In this Review we focus on the shape, internal organization and surface structures that are characteristic of archaeal cells as well as membrane remodelling, cell growth and division. We also highlight some of the technical challenges faced and discuss how new and improved technologies will help address many of the key unanswered questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marleen van Wolferen
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Buzz Baum
- Division of Cell Biology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Simonetta Gribaldo
- Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial Cell Unit, CNRS UMR2001, Department of Microbiology, Institute Pasteur, Paris, France.
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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9
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Frohn BP, Härtel T, Cox J, Schwille P. Tracing back variations in archaeal ESCRT-based cell division to protein domain architectures. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266395. [PMID: 35358274 PMCID: PMC8970359 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) system is a multi-protein machinery that is involved in cell division of both Eukaryotes and Archaea. This spread across domains of life suggests that a precursor ESCRT machinery existed already at an evolutionary early stage of life, making it a promising candidate for the (re)construction of a minimal cell division machinery. There are, however, only few experimental data about ESCRT machineries in Archaea, due to high technical challenges in cultivation and microscopy. Here, we analyse the proteins of ESCRT machineries in archaea bioinformatically on a protein domain level, to enable mechanistical comparison without such challenging experiments. First, we infer that there are at least three different cell division mechanisms utilizing ESCRT proteins in archaea, probably similar in their constriction mechanisms but different in membrane tethering. Second, we show that ESCRT proteins in the archaeal super-phylum Asgard are highly similar to eukaryotic ESCRT proteins, strengthening the recently developed idea that all Eukaryotes descended from archaea. Third, we reconstruct a plausible evolutionary development of ESCRT machineries and suggest that a simple ESCRT-based constriction machinery existed in the last archaeal common ancestor. These findings not only give very interesting insights into the likely evolution of cell division in Archaea and Eukaryotes, but also offer new research avenues by suggesting hypothesis-driven experiments for both, cell biology and bottom-up synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Béla P. Frohn
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
- Computational Systems Biochemistry Research Group, Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tobias Härtel
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jürgen Cox
- Computational Systems Biochemistry Research Group, Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Petra Schwille
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
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10
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Ithurbide S, Gribaldo S, Albers SV, Pende N. Spotlight on FtsZ-based cell division in Archaea. Trends Microbiol 2022; 30:665-678. [PMID: 35246355 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Compared with the extensive knowledge on cell division in model eukaryotes and bacteria, little is known about how archaea divide. Interestingly, both endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT)-based and FtsZ-based cell division systems are found in members of the Archaea. In the past couple of years, several studies have started to shed light on FtsZ-based cell division processes in members of the Euryarchaeota. In this review we highlight recent findings in this emerging field of research. We present current knowledge of the cell division machinery of halophiles which relies on two FtsZ proteins, and we compare it with that of methanobacteria, which relies on only one FtsZ. Finally, we discuss how these differences relate to the distinct cell envelopes of these two archaeal model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solenne Ithurbide
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Simonetta Gribaldo
- Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial Cell Unit, CNRS UMR2001, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Nika Pende
- Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial Cell Unit, CNRS UMR2001, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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Abstract
Many questions remain about the interplay between adaptive and neutral processes leading to genome expansion and the evolution of cellular complexity. Genome size appears to be tightly linked to the size of the regulatory repertoire of cells (van Nimwegen E. 2003. Scaling laws in the functional content of genomes. Trends Gen. 19(9):479–484). In the context of gene regulation, we here study the interplay between adaptive and nonadaptive forces on genome and regulatory network in a computational model of cell-cycle adaptation to different environments. Starting from the well-known Caulobacter crescentus network, we report on ten replicate in silico evolution experiments where cells evolve cell-cycle control by adapting to increasingly harsh spatial habitats. We find adaptive expansion of the regulatory repertoire of cells. Having a large genome is inherently costly, but also allows for improved cell-cycle behavior. Replicates traverse different evolutionary trajectories leading to distinct eco-evolutionary strategies. In four replicates, cells evolve a generalist strategy to cope with a variety of nutrient levels; in two replicates, different specialist cells evolve for specific nutrient levels; in the remaining four replicates, an intermediate strategy evolves. These diverse evolutionary outcomes reveal the role of contingency in a system under strong selective forces. This study shows that functionality of cells depends on the combination of regulatory network topology and genome organization. For example, the positions of dosage-sensitive genes are exploited to signal to the regulatory network when replication is completed, forming a de novo evolved cell cycle checkpoint. Our results underline the importance of the integration of multiple organizational levels to understand complex gene regulation and the evolution thereof.
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Liu J, Cvirkaite-Krupovic V, Commere PH, Yang Y, Zhou F, Forterre P, Shen Y, Krupovic M. Archaeal extracellular vesicles are produced in an ESCRT-dependent manner and promote gene transfer and nutrient cycling in extreme environments. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:2892-2905. [PMID: 33903726 PMCID: PMC8443754 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-00984-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Membrane-bound extracellular vesicles (EVs), secreted by cells from all three domains of life, transport various molecules and act as agents of intercellular communication in diverse environments. Here we demonstrate that EVs produced by a hyperthermophilic and acidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus islandicus carry not only a diverse proteome, enriched in membrane proteins, but also chromosomal and plasmid DNA, and can transfer this DNA to recipient cells. Furthermore, we show that EVs can support the heterotrophic growth of Sulfolobus in minimal medium, implicating EVs in carbon and nitrogen fluxes in extreme environments. Finally, our results indicate that, similar to eukaryotes, production of EVs in S. islandicus depends on the archaeal ESCRT machinery. We find that all components of the ESCRT apparatus are encapsidated into EVs. Using synchronized S. islandicus cultures, we show that EV production is linked to cell division and appears to be triggered by increased expression of ESCRT proteins during this cell cycle phase. Using a CRISPR-based knockdown system, we show that archaeal ESCRT-III and AAA+ ATPase Vps4 are required for EV production, whereas archaea-specific component CdvA appears to be dispensable. In particular, the active EV production appears to coincide with the expression patterns of ESCRT-III-1 and ESCRT-III-2, rather than ESCRT-III, suggesting a prime role of these proteins in EV budding. Collectively, our results suggest that ESCRT-mediated EV biogenesis has deep evolutionary roots, likely predating the divergence of eukaryotes and archaea, and that EVs play an important role in horizontal gene transfer and nutrient cycling in extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Liu
- grid.27255.370000 0004 1761 1174CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China ,grid.428999.70000 0001 2353 6535Archaeal Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | | | - Pierre-Henri Commere
- grid.428999.70000 0001 2353 6535Institut Pasteur, Flow Cytometry Platform, Paris, France
| | - Yunfeng Yang
- grid.27255.370000 0004 1761 1174CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Fan Zhou
- grid.27255.370000 0004 1761 1174CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Patrick Forterre
- grid.428999.70000 0001 2353 6535Archaeal Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Yulong Shen
- grid.27255.370000 0004 1761 1174CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Mart Krupovic
- grid.428999.70000 0001 2353 6535Archaeal Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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Aylward FO, Santoro AE. Heterotrophic Thaumarchaea with Small Genomes Are Widespread in the Dark Ocean. mSystems 2020; 5:e00415-20. [PMID: 32546674 PMCID: PMC7300363 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00415-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The Thaumarchaeota is a diverse archaeal phylum comprising numerous lineages that play key roles in global biogeochemical cycling, particularly in the ocean. To date, all genomically characterized marine thaumarchaea are reported to be chemolithoautotrophic ammonia oxidizers. In this study, we report a group of putatively heterotrophic marine thaumarchaea (HMT) with small genome sizes that is globally abundant in the mesopelagic, apparently lacking the ability to oxidize ammonia. We assembled five HMT genomes from metagenomic data and show that they form a deeply branching sister lineage to the ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA). We identify this group in metagenomes from mesopelagic waters in all major ocean basins, with abundances reaching up to 6% of that of AOA. Surprisingly, we predict the HMT have small genomes of ∼1 Mbp, and our ancestral state reconstruction indicates this lineage has undergone substantial genome reduction compared to other related archaea. The genomic repertoire of HMT indicates a versatile metabolism for aerobic chemoorganoheterotrophy that includes a divergent form III-a RuBisCO, a 2M respiratory complex I that has been hypothesized to increase energetic efficiency, and a three-subunit heme-copper oxidase complex IV that is absent from AOA. We also identify 21 pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-dependent dehydrogenases that are predicted to supply reducing equivalents to the electron transport chain and are among the most highly expressed HMT genes, suggesting these enzymes play an important role in the physiology of this group. Our results suggest that heterotrophic members of the Thaumarchaeota are widespread in the ocean and potentially play key roles in global chemical transformations.IMPORTANCE It has been known for many years that marine Thaumarchaeota are abundant constituents of dark ocean microbial communities, where their ability to couple ammonia oxidation and carbon fixation plays a critical role in nutrient dynamics. In this study, we describe an abundant group of putatively heterotrophic marine Thaumarchaeota (HMT) in the ocean with physiology distinct from those of their ammonia-oxidizing relatives. HMT lack the ability to oxidize ammonia and fix carbon via the 3-hydroxypropionate/4-hydroxybutyrate pathway but instead encode a form III-a RuBisCO and diverse PQQ-dependent dehydrogenases that are likely used to conserve energy in the dark ocean. Our work expands the scope of known diversity of Thaumarchaeota in the ocean and provides important insight into a widespread marine lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank O Aylward
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Alyson E Santoro
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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14
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Archaeal cell biology: diverse functions of tubulin-like cytoskeletal proteins at the cell envelope. Emerg Top Life Sci 2018; 2:547-559. [DOI: 10.1042/etls20180026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The tubulin superfamily of cytoskeletal proteins is widespread in all three domains of life — Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya. Tubulins build the microtubules of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton, whereas members of the homologous FtsZ family construct the division ring in prokaryotes and some eukaryotic organelles. Their functions are relatively poorly understood in archaea, yet these microbes contain a remarkable diversity of tubulin superfamily proteins, including FtsZ for division, a newly described major family called CetZ that is involved in archaeal cell shape control, and several other divergent families of unclear function that are implicated in a variety of cell envelope-remodelling contexts. Archaeal model organisms, particularly halophilic archaea such as Haloferax volcanii, have sufficiently developed genetic tools and we show why their large, flattened cells that are capable of controlled differentiation are also well suited to cell biological investigations by live-cell high-resolution light and electron microscopy. As most archaea only have a glycoprotein lattice S-layer, rather than a peptidoglycan cell wall like bacteria, the activity of the tubulin-like cytoskeletal proteins at the cell envelope is expected to vary significantly, and may involve direct membrane remodelling or directed synthesis or insertion of the S-layer protein subunits. Further studies of archaeal cell biology will provide fresh insight into the evolution of cells and the principles in common to their fundamental activities across the full spectrum of cellular life.
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Kimble JC, Winter AS, Spilde MN, Sinsabaugh RL, Northup DE. A potential central role of Thaumarchaeota in N-Cycling in a semi-arid environment, Fort Stanton Cave, Snowy River passage, New Mexico, USA. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2018; 94:5079639. [PMID: 30165514 PMCID: PMC6669814 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Low biomass and productivity of arid-land caves with limited availability of nitrogen (N) raises the question of how microbes acquire and cycle this essential element. Caves are ideal environments for investigating microbial functional capabilities, as they lack phototrophic activity and have near constant temperatures and high relative humidity. From the walls of Fort Stanton Cave (FSC), multicolored secondary mineral deposits of soil-like material low in fixed N, known as ferromanganese deposits (FMD), were collected. We hypothesized that within FMD samples we would find the presence of microbial N cycling genes and taxonomy related to N cycling microorganisms. Community DNA were sequenced using Illumina shotgun metagenomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results suggest a diverse N cycle encompassing several energetic pathways including nitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction and denitrification. N cycling genes associated with assimilatory nitrate reduction were also identified. Functional gene sequences and taxonomic findings suggest several bacterial and archaeal phyla potentially play a role in nitrification pathways in FSC and FMD. Thaumarchaeota, a deep-branching archaeal division, likely play an essential and possibly dominant role in the oxidation of ammonia. Our results provide genomic evidence for understanding how microbes are potentially able to acquire and cycle N in a low-nutrient subterranean environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason C Kimble
- Department of Biology, MSC03-2020, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Ara S Winter
- Department of Biology, MSC03-2020, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Michael N Spilde
- Institute of Meteoritics, MSC03-2050, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Robert L Sinsabaugh
- Department of Biology, MSC03-2020, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Diana E Northup
- Department of Biology, MSC03-2020, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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16
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"Candidatus Nitrosotenuis aquarius," an Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaeon from a Freshwater Aquarium Biofilter. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.01430-18. [PMID: 29959256 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01430-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ammonia is a metabolic waste product excreted by aquatic organisms that causes toxicity when it accumulates. Aquaria and aquaculture systems therefore use biological filters that promote the growth of nitrifiers to convert ammonia to nitrate. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) have been isolated from aquarium biofilters and are available as commercial supplements, but recent evidence suggests that ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are abundant in aquarium biofilters. In this study, we report the cultivation and closed genome sequence of the novel AOA representative "Candidatus Nitrosotenuis aquarius," which was enriched from a freshwater aquarium biofilter. "Ca Nitrosotenuis aquarius" oxidizes ammonia stoichiometrically to nitrite with a concomitant increase in thaumarchaeotal cells and a generation time of 34.9 h. "Ca Nitrosotenuis aquarius" has an optimal growth temperature of 33°C, tolerates up to 3 mM NH4Cl, and grows optimally at 0.05% salinity. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that "Ca Nitrosotenuis aquarius" cells are rod shaped, with a diameter of ∼0.4 μm and length ranging from 0.6 to 3.6 μm. In addition, these cells possess surface layers (S-layers) and multiple proteinaceous appendages. Phylogenetically, "Ca Nitrosotenuis aquarius" belongs to the group I.1a Thaumarchaeota, clustering with environmental sequences from freshwater aquarium biofilters, aquaculture systems, and wastewater treatment plants. The complete 1.70-Mbp genome contains genes involved in ammonia oxidation, bicarbonate assimilation, flagellum synthesis, chemotaxis, S-layer production, defense, and protein glycosylation. Incubations with differential inhibitors indicate that "Ca Nitrosotenuis aquarius"-like AOA contribute to ammonia oxidation within the aquarium biofilter from which it originated.IMPORTANCE Nitrification is a critical process for preventing ammonia toxicity in engineered biofilter environments. This work describes the cultivation and complete genome sequence of a novel AOA representative enriched from a freshwater aquarium biofilter. In addition, despite the common belief in the aquarium industry that AOB mediate ammonia oxidation, the present study suggests an in situ role for "Ca Nitrosotenuis aquarius"-like AOA in freshwater aquarium biofilters.
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17
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Caspi Y, Dekker C. Dividing the Archaeal Way: The Ancient Cdv Cell-Division Machinery. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:174. [PMID: 29551994 PMCID: PMC5840170 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell division in most prokaryotes is mediated by the well-studied fts genes, with FtsZ as the principal player. In many archaeal species, however, division is orchestrated differently. The Crenarchaeota phylum of archaea features the action of the three proteins, CdvABC. This Cdv system is a unique and less-well-studied division mechanism that merits closer inspection. In vivo, the three Cdv proteins form a composite band that contracts concomitantly with the septum formation. Of the three Cdv proteins, CdvA is the first to be recruited to the division site, while CdvB and CdvC are thought to participate in the active part of the Cdv division machinery. Interestingly, CdvB shares homology with a family of proteins from the eukaryotic ESCRT-III complex, and CdvC is a homolog of the eukaryotic Vps4 complex. These two eukaryotic complexes are key factors in the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) pathway, which is responsible for various budding processes in eukaryotic cells and which participates in the final stages of division in Metazoa. There, ESCRT-III forms a contractile machinery that actively cuts the membrane, whereas Vps4, which is an ATPase, is necessary for the turnover of the ESCRT membrane-abscission polymers. In contrast to CdvB and CdvC, CdvA is unique to the archaeal Crenarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota phyla. The Crenarchaeota division mechanism has often been suggested to represent a simplified version of the ESCRT division machinery thus providing a model system to study the evolution and mechanism of cell division in higher organisms. However, there are still many open questions regarding this parallelism and the division mechanism of Crenarchaeota. Here, we review the existing data on the role of the Cdv proteins in the division process of Crenarchaeota as well as concisely review the ESCRT system in eukaryotes. We survey the similarities and differences between the division and abscission mechanisms in the two cases. We suggest that the Cdv system functions differently in archaea than ESCRT does in eukaryotes, and that, unlike the eukaryotic case, the Cdv system's main function may be related to surplus membrane invagination and cell-wall synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaron Caspi
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Cees Dekker
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
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18
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Abby SS, Melcher M, Kerou M, Krupovic M, Stieglmeier M, Rossel C, Pfeifer K, Schleper C. Candidatus Nitrosocaldus cavascurensis, an Ammonia Oxidizing, Extremely Thermophilic Archaeon with a Highly Mobile Genome. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:28. [PMID: 29434576 PMCID: PMC5797428 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) of the phylum Thaumarchaeota are widespread in moderate environments but their occurrence and activity has also been demonstrated in hot springs. Here we present the first enrichment of a thermophilic representative with a sequenced genome, which facilitates the search for adaptive strategies and for traits that shape the evolution of Thaumarchaeota. Candidatus Nitrosocaldus cavascurensis has been enriched from a hot spring in Ischia, Italy. It grows optimally at 68°C under chemolithoautotrophic conditions on ammonia or urea converting ammonia stoichiometrically into nitrite with a generation time of approximately 23 h. Phylogenetic analyses based on ribosomal proteins place the organism as a sister group to all known mesophilic AOA. The 1.58 Mb genome of Ca. N. cavascurensis harbors an amoAXCB gene cluster encoding ammonia monooxygenase and genes for a 3-hydroxypropionate/4-hydroxybutyrate pathway for autotrophic carbon fixation, but also genes that indicate potential alternative energy metabolisms. Although a bona fide gene for nitrite reductase is missing, the organism is sensitive to NO-scavenging, underlining the potential importance of this compound for AOA metabolism. Ca. N. cavascurensis is distinct from all other AOA in its gene repertoire for replication, cell division and repair. Its genome has an impressive array of mobile genetic elements and other recently acquired gene sets, including conjugative systems, a provirus, transposons and cell appendages. Some of these elements indicate recent exchange with the environment, whereas others seem to have been domesticated and might convey crucial metabolic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie S Abby
- Division of Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Laboratoire Techniques de l'Ingénierie Médicale et de la Complexité - Informatique, Mathématiques et Applications, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Michael Melcher
- Division of Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Melina Kerou
- Division of Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mart Krupovic
- Unité Biologie Moléculaire du Gène chez les Extrêmophiles, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Michaela Stieglmeier
- Division of Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Rossel
- Division of Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kevin Pfeifer
- Division of Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christa Schleper
- Division of Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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19
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Eme L, Spang A, Lombard J, Stairs CW, Ettema TJG. Archaea and the origin of eukaryotes. Nat Rev Microbiol 2017; 15:711-723. [DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2017.133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 279] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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20
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Qin W, Heal KR, Ramdasi R, Kobelt JN, Martens-Habbena W, Bertagnolli AD, Amin SA, Walker CB, Urakawa H, Könneke M, Devol AH, Moffett JW, Armbrust EV, Jensen GJ, Ingalls AE, Stahl DA. Nitrosopumilus maritimus gen. nov., sp. nov., Nitrosopumilus cobalaminigenes sp. nov., Nitrosopumilus oxyclinae sp. nov., and Nitrosopumilus ureiphilus sp. nov., four marine ammonia-oxidizing archaea of the phylum Thaumarchaeota. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2017; 67:5067-5079. [PMID: 29034851 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.002416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Four mesophilic, neutrophilic, and aerobic marine ammonia-oxidizing archaea, designated strains SCM1T, HCA1T, HCE1T and PS0T, were isolated from a tropical marine fish tank, dimly lit deep coastal waters, the lower euphotic zone of coastal waters, and near-surface sediment in the Puget Sound estuary, respectively. Cells are straight or slightly curved small rods, 0.15-0.26 µm in diameter and 0.50-1.59 µm in length. Motility was not observed, although strain PS0T possesses genes associated with archaeal flagella and chemotaxis, suggesting it may be motile under some conditions. Cell membranes consist of glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) lipids, with crenarchaeol as the major component. Strain SCM1T displays a single surface layer (S-layer) with p6 symmetry, distinct from the p3-S-layer reported for the soil ammonia-oxidizing archaeon Nitrososphaera viennensis EN76T. Respiratory quinones consist of fully saturated and monounsaturated menaquinones with 6 isoprenoid units in the side chain. Cells obtain energy from ammonia oxidation and use carbon dioxide as carbon source; addition of an α-keto acid (α-ketoglutaric acid) was necessary to sustain growth of strains HCA1T, HCE1T, and PS0T. Strain PS0T uses urea as a source of ammonia for energy production and growth. All strains synthesize vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine), and B12 (cobalamin). Optimal growth occurs between 25 and 32 °C, between pH 6.8 and 7.3, and between 25 and 37 ‰ salinity. All strains have a low mol% G+C content of 33.0-34.2. Strains are related by 98 % or greater 16S rRNA gene sequence identity, sharing ~85 % 16S rRNA gene sequence identity with Nitrososphaera viennensis EN76T. All four isolates are well separated by phenotypic and genotypic characteristics and are here assigned to distinct species within the genus Nitrosopumilus gen. nov. Isolates SCM1T (=ATCC TSD-97T =NCIMB 15022T), HCA1T (=ATCC TSD-96T), HCE1T (=ATCC TSD-98T), and PS0T (=ATCC TSD-99T) are type strains of the species Nitrosopumilusmaritimus sp. nov., Nitrosopumilus cobalaminigenes sp. nov., Nitrosopumilus oxyclinae sp. nov., and Nitrosopumilus ureiphilus sp. nov., respectively. In addition, we propose the family Nitrosopumilaceae fam. nov. and the order Nitrosopumilales ord. nov. within the class Nitrososphaeria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Qin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Katherine R Heal
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rasika Ramdasi
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Julia N Kobelt
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Willm Martens-Habbena
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science and Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Florida, FL, USA
| | - Anthony D Bertagnolli
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shady A Amin
- Department of Chemistry, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Christopher B Walker
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Hidetoshi Urakawa
- Department of Marine and Ecological Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL, USA
| | - Martin Könneke
- Marine Archaea Group, MARUM-Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Allan H Devol
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James W Moffett
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Earth Sciences and Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Grant J Jensen
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Anitra E Ingalls
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David A Stahl
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Abstract
In comparison with bacteria and eukaryotes, the large and diverse group of microorganisms known as archaea possess a great diversity of cytoskeletal proteins, including members of the tubulin superfamily. Many species contain FtsZ, CetZ and even possible tubulins; however, some major taxonomic groups do not contain any member of the tubulin superfamily. Studies using the model archaeon, Halferax volcanii have recently been instrumental in defining the fundamental roles of FtsZ and CetZ in archaeal cell division and cell shape regulation. Structural studies of archaeal tubulin superfamily proteins provide a definitive contribution to the cytoskeletal field, showing which protein-types must have developed prior to the divergence of archaea and eukaryotes. Several regions of the globular core domain - the "signature" motifs - combine in the 3D structure of the common molecular fold to form the GTP-binding site. They are the most conserved sequence elements and provide the primary basis for identification of new superfamily members through homology searches. The currently well-characterised proteins also all share a common mechanism of GTP-dependent polymerisation, in which GTP molecules are sandwiched between successive subunits that are arranged in a head-to-tail manner. However, some poorly-characterised archaeal protein families retain only some of the signature motifs and are unlikely to be capable of dynamic polymerisation, since the promotion of depolymerisation by hydrolysis to GDP depends on contributions from both subunits that sandwich the nucleotide in the polymer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H S Aylett
- Department of Biology, Institute for Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Iain G Duggin
- The iThree Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia.
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22
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Barillà D. Driving Apart and Segregating Genomes in Archaea. Trends Microbiol 2016; 24:957-967. [PMID: 27450111 PMCID: PMC5120986 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Genome segregation is a fundamental biological process in organisms from all domains of life. How this stage of the cell cycle unfolds in Eukarya has been clearly defined and considerable progress has been made to unravel chromosome partition in Bacteria. The picture is still elusive in Archaea. The lineages of this domain exhibit different cell-cycle lifestyles and wide-ranging chromosome copy numbers, fluctuating from 1 up to 55. This plurality of patterns suggests that a variety of mechanisms might underpin disentangling and delivery of DNA molecules to daughter cells. Here I describe recent developments in archaeal genome maintenance, including investigations of novel genome segregation machines that point to unforeseen bacterial and eukaryotic connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Barillà
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK.
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Hoppstock L, Trusch F, Lederer C, van West P, Koenneke M, Bayer P. NmPin from the marine thaumarchaeote Nitrosopumilus maritimus is an active membrane associated prolyl isomerase. BMC Biol 2016; 14:53. [PMID: 27349962 PMCID: PMC4922055 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-016-0274-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Peptidyl-prolyl isomerases (PPIases) are present in all forms of life and play a crucial role in protein folding and regulation. They catalyze the cis-trans isomerization of the peptide bond that precedes proline residues in numerous proteins. The parvulins, which is one family of PPIases, have been extensively investigated in several eukaryotes. However, nothing is known about their expression, function and localization in archaea. Results Here, we describe the endogenous expression, molecular structure, function and cellular localization of NmPin, a single-domain parvulin-type PPIase from Nitrosopumilus maritimus. This marine chemolithoautotrophic archaeon belongs to the globally abundant phylum Thaumarchaeota. Using high resolution NMR spectroscopy we demonstrate that the 3D structure of NmPin adopts a parvulin fold and confirmed its peptidyl-prolyl isomerase activity by protease-coupled assays and mutagenesis studies. A detailed topological analysis revealed a positively charged lysine-rich patch on the protein surface, which is conserved in all known parvulin sequences of thaumarchaeotes and targets NmPin to lipids in vitro. Immunofluorescence microscopy confirms that the protein is attached to the outer archaeal cell membrane in vivo. Transmission electron microscopy uncovered that NmPin has a uniform distribution at the membrane surface, which is correlated with a native cell shape of the prokaryote. Conclusion We present a novel solution structure of a catalytically active thaumarchaeal parvulin. Our results reveal that a lysine-rich patch in NmPin mediates membrane localization. These findings provide a model whereby NmPin is located between the archaeal membrane and the surface layer and hence suggest proteins of the S-layer as the key target substrates of this parvulin. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-016-0274-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Hoppstock
- Department of Structural and Medicinal Biochemistry, Centre for Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 1-4, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Franziska Trusch
- Aberdeen Oomycetes Laboratory, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, AB25 2ZD, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Christoph Lederer
- Department of Structural and Medicinal Biochemistry, Centre for Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 1-4, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Pieter van West
- Aberdeen Oomycetes Laboratory, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, AB25 2ZD, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Martin Koenneke
- Organic Geochemistry Group, MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. MARUM, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Peter Bayer
- Department of Structural and Medicinal Biochemistry, Centre for Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 1-4, 45141, Essen, Germany.
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Koonin EV. Origin of eukaryotes from within archaea, archaeal eukaryome and bursts of gene gain: eukaryogenesis just made easier? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 370:20140333. [PMID: 26323764 PMCID: PMC4571572 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of eukaryotes is a fundamental, forbidding evolutionary puzzle. Comparative genomic analysis clearly shows that the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) possessed most of the signature complex features of modern eukaryotic cells, in particular the mitochondria, the endomembrane system including the nucleus, an advanced cytoskeleton and the ubiquitin network. Numerous duplications of ancestral genes, e.g. DNA polymerases, RNA polymerases and proteasome subunits, also can be traced back to the LECA. Thus, the LECA was not a primitive organism and its emergence must have resulted from extensive evolution towards cellular complexity. However, the scenario of eukaryogenesis, and in particular the relationship between endosymbiosis and the origin of eukaryotes, is far from being clear. Four recent developments provide new clues to the likely routes of eukaryogenesis. First, evolutionary reconstructions suggest complex ancestors for most of the major groups of archaea, with the subsequent evolution dominated by gene loss. Second, homologues of signature eukaryotic proteins, such as actin and tubulin that form the core of the cytoskeleton or the ubiquitin system, have been detected in diverse archaea. The discovery of this ‘dispersed eukaryome’ implies that the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes was a complex cell that might have been capable of a primitive form of phagocytosis and thus conducive to endosymbiont capture. Third, phylogenomic analyses converge on the origin of most eukaryotic genes of archaeal descent from within the archaeal evolutionary tree, specifically, the TACK superphylum. Fourth, evidence has been presented that the origin of the major archaeal phyla involved massive acquisition of bacterial genes. Taken together, these findings make the symbiogenetic scenario for the origin of eukaryotes considerably more plausible and the origin of the organizational complexity of eukaryotic cells more readily explainable than they appeared until recently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
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25
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Quemin ERJ, Quax TEF. Archaeal viruses at the cell envelope: entry and egress. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:552. [PMID: 26097469 PMCID: PMC4456609 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell envelope represents the main line of host defense that viruses encounter on their way from one cell to another. The cytoplasmic membrane in general is a physical barrier that needs to be crossed both upon viral entry and exit. Therefore, viruses from the three domains of life employ a wide range of strategies for perforation of the cell membrane, each adapted to the cell surface environment of their host. Here, we review recent insights on entry and egress mechanisms of viruses infecting archaea. Due to the unique nature of the archaeal cell envelope, these particular viruses exhibit novel and unexpected mechanisms to traverse the cellular membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tessa E F Quax
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute for Biology II - Microbiology, University of Freiburg , Freiburg, Germany
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26
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Kamanda Ngugi D, Blom J, Alam I, Rashid M, Ba-Alawi W, Zhang G, Hikmawan T, Guan Y, Antunes A, Siam R, El Dorry H, Bajic V, Stingl U. Comparative genomics reveals adaptations of a halotolerant thaumarchaeon in the interfaces of brine pools in the Red Sea. THE ISME JOURNAL 2015; 9:396-411. [PMID: 25105904 PMCID: PMC4303633 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Revised: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 06/21/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The bottom of the Red Sea harbors over 25 deep hypersaline anoxic basins that are geochemically distinct and characterized by vertical gradients of extreme physicochemical conditions. Because of strong changes in density, particulate and microbial debris get entrapped in the brine-seawater interface (BSI), resulting in increased dissolved organic carbon, reduced dissolved oxygen toward the brines and enhanced microbial activities in the BSI. These features coupled with the deep-sea prevalence of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in the global ocean make the BSI a suitable environment for studying the osmotic adaptations and ecology of these important players in the marine nitrogen cycle. Using phylogenomic-based approaches, we show that the local archaeal community of five different BSI habitats (with up to 18.2% salinity) is composed mostly of a single, highly abundant Nitrosopumilus-like phylotype that is phylogenetically distinct from the bathypelagic thaumarchaea; ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were absent. The composite genome of this novel Nitrosopumilus-like subpopulation (RSA3) co-assembled from multiple single-cell amplified genomes (SAGs) from one such BSI habitat further revealed that it shares ∼54% of its predicted genomic inventory with sequenced Nitrosopumilus species. RSA3 also carries several, albeit variable gene sets that further illuminate the phylogenetic diversity and metabolic plasticity of this genus. Specifically, it encodes for a putative proline-glutamate 'switch' with a potential role in osmotolerance and indirect impact on carbon and energy flows. Metagenomic fragment recruitment analyses against the composite RSA3 genome, Nitrosopumilus maritimus, and SAGs of mesopelagic thaumarchaea also reiterate the divergence of the BSI genotypes from other AOA.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kamanda Ngugi
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jochen Blom
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Intikhab Alam
- Computational Bioscience Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mamoon Rashid
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wail Ba-Alawi
- Computational Bioscience Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Guishan Zhang
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tyas Hikmawan
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yue Guan
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Andre Antunes
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rania Siam
- Department of Biology, American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hamza El Dorry
- Department of Biology, American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Vladimir Bajic
- Computational Bioscience Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ulrich Stingl
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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27
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Thomas C, Ionescu D, Ariztegui D. Archaeal populations in two distinct sedimentary facies of the subsurface of the Dead Sea. Mar Genomics 2014; 17:53-62. [PMID: 25224966 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Revised: 09/02/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Archaeal metabolism was studied in aragonitic and gypsum facies of the Dead Sea subsurface using high-throughput DNA sequencing. We show that the communities are well adapted to the peculiar environment of the Dead Sea subsurface. They harbor the necessary genes to deal with osmotic pressure using high- and low-salt-in strategies, and to cope with unusually high concentrations of heavy metals. Methanogenesis was identified for the first time in the Dead Sea and appears to be an important metabolism in the aragonite sediment. Fermentation of residual organic matter, probably performed by some members of the Halobacteria class is common to both types of sediments. The latter group represents more than 95% of the taxonomically identifiable Archaea in the metagenome of the gypsum sediment. The potential for sulfur reduction has also been revealed and is associated in the sediment with EPS degradation and Fe-S mineralization as revealed by SEM imaging. Overall, we show that distinct communities of Archaea are associated with the two different facies of the Dead Sea, and are adapted to the harsh chemistry of its subsurface, in different ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Thomas
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - D Ionescu
- Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Stechlin, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - D Ariztegui
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland
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Stieglmeier M, Klingl A, Alves RJE, Rittmann SKMR, Melcher M, Leisch N, Schleper C. Nitrososphaera viennensis gen. nov., sp. nov., an aerobic and mesophilic, ammonia-oxidizing archaeon from soil and a member of the archaeal phylum Thaumarchaeota. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2014; 64:2738-2752. [PMID: 24907263 PMCID: PMC4129164 DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.063172-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A mesophilic, neutrophilic and aerobic, ammonia-oxidizing archaeon, strain EN76(T), was isolated from garden soil in Vienna (Austria). Cells were irregular cocci with a diameter of 0.6-0.9 µm and possessed archaella and archaeal pili as cell appendages. Electron microscopy also indicated clearly discernible areas of high and low electron density, as well as tubule-like structures. Strain EN76(T) had an S-layer with p3 symmetry, so far only reported for members of the Sulfolobales. Crenarchaeol was the major core lipid. The organism gained energy by oxidizing ammonia to nitrite aerobically, thereby fixing CO2, but growth depended on the addition of small amounts of organic acids. The optimal growth temperature was 42 °C and the optimal pH was 7.5, with ammonium and pyruvate concentrations of 2.6 and 1 mM, respectively. The genome of strain EN76(T) had a DNA G+C content of 52.7 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA genes showed that strain EN76(T) is affiliated with the recently proposed phylum Thaumarchaeota, sharing 85% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity with the closest cultivated relative 'Candidatus Nitrosopumilus maritimus' SCM1, a marine ammonia-oxidizing archaeon, and a maximum of 81% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity with members of the phyla Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota and any of the other recently proposed phyla (e.g. 'Korarchaeota' and 'Aigarchaeota'). We propose the name Nitrososphaera viennensis gen. nov., sp. nov. to accommodate strain EN76(T). The type strain of Nitrososphaera viennensis is strain EN76(T) ( = DSM 26422(T) = JMC 19564(T)). Additionally, we propose the family Nitrososphaeraceae fam. nov., the order Nitrososphaerales ord. nov. and the class Nitrososphaeria classis nov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Stieglmeier
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstr. 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Klingl
- Cell Biology and LOEWE Research Centre for Synthetic Microbiology (Synmikro), Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Ricardo J. E. Alves
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstr. 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Simon K.-M. R. Rittmann
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstr. 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Melcher
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstr. 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikolaus Leisch
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstr. 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christa Schleper
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstr. 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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29
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Ettema TJG, Lindås AC, Hjort K, Poplawski AB, Kaessmann H, Grogan DW, Kelman Z, Andersson AF, Pelve EA, Lundgren M, Svärd SG. Rolf Bernander (1956-2014): pioneer of the archaeal cell cycle. Mol Microbiol 2014; 92:903-9. [PMID: 24865634 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
On 19 January 2014 Rolf ('Roffe') Bernander passed away unexpectedly. Rolf was a dedicated scientist; his research aimed at unravelling the cell biology of the archaeal domain of life, especially cell cycle-related questions, but he also made important contributions in other areas of microbiology. Rolf had a professor position in the Molecular Evolution programme at Uppsala University, Sweden for about 8 years, and in January 2013 he became chair professor at the Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute at Stockholm University in Sweden. Rolf was an exceptional colleague and will be deeply missed by his family and friends, and the colleagues and co-workers that he leaves behind in the scientific community. He will be remembered for his endless enthusiasm for science, his analytical mind, and his quirky sense of humour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thijs J G Ettema
- Department of Cell- and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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30
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Divided we stand: splitting synthetic cells for their proliferation. SYSTEMS AND SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY 2014; 8:249-69. [PMID: 25136387 DOI: 10.1007/s11693-014-9145-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Revised: 03/29/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
With the recent dawn of synthetic biology, the old idea of man-made artificial life has gained renewed interest. In the context of a bottom-up approach, this entails the de novo construction of synthetic cells that can autonomously sustain themselves and proliferate. Reproduction of a synthetic cell involves the synthesis of its inner content, replication of its information module, and growth and division of its shell. Theoretical and experimental analysis of natural cells shows that, whereas the core synthesis machinery of the information module is highly conserved, a wide range of solutions have been realized in order to accomplish division. It is therefore to be expected that there are multiple ways to engineer division of synthetic cells. Here we survey the field and review potential routes that can be explored to accomplish the division of bottom-up designed synthetic cells. We cover a range of complexities from simple abiotic mechanisms involving splitting of lipid-membrane-encapsulated vesicles due to physical or chemical principles, to potential division mechanisms of synthetic cells that are based on prokaryotic division machineries.
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31
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Koonin EV, Yutin N. The dispersed archaeal eukaryome and the complex archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2014; 6:a016188. [PMID: 24691961 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a016188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The ancestral set of eukaryotic genes is a chimera composed of genes of archaeal and bacterial origins thanks to the endosymbiosis event that gave rise to the mitochondria and apparently antedated the last common ancestor of the extant eukaryotes. The proto-mitochondrial endosymbiont is confidently identified as an α-proteobacterium. In contrast, the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes remains elusive, although evidence is accumulating that it could have belonged to a deep lineage within the TACK (Thaumarchaeota, Aigarchaeota, Crenarchaeota, Korarchaeota) superphylum of the Archaea. Recent surveys of archaeal genomes show that the apparent ancestors of several key functional systems of eukaryotes, the components of the archaeal "eukaryome," such as ubiquitin signaling, RNA interference, and actin-based and tubulin-based cytoskeleton structures, are identifiable in different archaeal groups. We suggest that the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes was a complex form, rooted deeply within the TACK superphylum, that already possessed some quintessential eukaryotic features, in particular, a cytoskeleton, and perhaps was capable of a primitive form of phagocytosis that would facilitate the engulfment of potential symbionts. This putative group of Archaea could have existed for a relatively short time before going extinct or undergoing genome streamlining, resulting in the dispersion of the eukaryome. This scenario might explain the difficulty with the identification of the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes despite the straightforward detection of apparent ancestors to many signature eukaryotic functional systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894
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32
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Koumandou VL, Wickstead B, Ginger ML, van der Giezen M, Dacks JB, Field MC. Molecular paleontology and complexity in the last eukaryotic common ancestor. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2014; 48:373-96. [PMID: 23895660 PMCID: PMC3791482 DOI: 10.3109/10409238.2013.821444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryogenesis, the origin of the eukaryotic cell, represents one of the fundamental evolutionary transitions in the history of life on earth. This event, which is estimated to have occurred over one billion years ago, remains rather poorly understood. While some well-validated examples of fossil microbial eukaryotes for this time frame have been described, these can provide only basic morphology and the molecular machinery present in these organisms has remained unknown. Complete and partial genomic information has begun to fill this gap, and is being used to trace proteins and cellular traits to their roots and to provide unprecedented levels of resolution of structures, metabolic pathways and capabilities of organisms at these earliest points within the eukaryotic lineage. This is essentially allowing a molecular paleontology. What has emerged from these studies is spectacular cellular complexity prior to expansion of the eukaryotic lineages. Multiple reconstructed cellular systems indicate a very sophisticated biology, which by implication arose following the initial eukaryogenesis event but prior to eukaryotic radiation and provides a challenge in terms of explaining how these early eukaryotes arose and in understanding how they lived. Here, we provide brief overviews of several cellular systems and the major emerging conclusions, together with predictions for subsequent directions in evolution leading to extant taxa. We also consider what these reconstructions suggest about the life styles and capabilities of these earliest eukaryotes and the period of evolution between the radiation of eukaryotes and the eukaryogenesis event itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Lila Koumandou
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Soranou Efesiou 4, Athens 115 27, Greece
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33
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Miyagishima SY, Nakamura M, Uzuka A, Era A. FtsZ-less prokaryotic cell division as well as FtsZ- and dynamin-less chloroplast and non-photosynthetic plastid division. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2014; 5:459. [PMID: 25309558 PMCID: PMC4164004 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2014.00459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The chloroplast division machinery is a mixture of a stromal FtsZ-based complex descended from a cyanobacterial ancestor of chloroplasts and a cytosolic dynamin-related protein (DRP) 5B-based complex derived from the eukaryotic host. Molecular genetic studies have shown that each component of the division machinery is normally essential for normal chloroplast division. However, several exceptions have been found. In the absence of the FtsZ ring, non-photosynthetic plastids are able to proliferate, likely by elongation and budding. Depletion of DRP5B impairs, but does not stop chloroplast division. Chloroplasts in glaucophytes, which possesses a peptidoglycan (PG) layer, divide without DRP5B. Certain parasitic eukaryotes possess non-photosynthetic plastids of secondary endosymbiotic origin, but neither FtsZ nor DRP5B is encoded in their genomes. Elucidation of the FtsZ- and/or DRP5B-less chloroplast division mechanism will lead to a better understanding of the function and evolution of the chloroplast division machinery and the finding of the as-yet-unknown mechanism that is likely involved in chloroplast division. Recent studies have shown that FtsZ was lost from a variety of prokaryotes, many of which lost PG by regressive evolution. In addition, even some of the FtsZ-bearing bacteria are able to divide when FtsZ and PG are depleted experimentally. In some cases, alternative mechanisms for cell division, such as budding by an increase of the cell surface-to-volume ratio, are proposed. Although PG is believed to have been lost from chloroplasts other than in glaucophytes, there is some indirect evidence for the existence of PG in chloroplasts. Such information is also useful for understanding how non-photosynthetic plastids are able to divide in FtsZ-depleted cells and the reason for the retention of FtsZ in chloroplast division. Here we summarize information to facilitate analyses of FtsZ- and/or DRP5B-less chloroplast and non-photosynthetic plastid division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-ya Miyagishima
- Center for Frontier Research, National Institute of GeneticsMishima, Japan
- Department of Genetics, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)Mishima, Japan
- Japan Science and Technology Agency, CRESTKawaguchi, Japan
- *Correspondence: Shin-ya Miyagishima, Center for Frontier Research, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan e-mail:
| | - Mami Nakamura
- Center for Frontier Research, National Institute of GeneticsMishima, Japan
- Department of Genetics, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)Mishima, Japan
| | - Akihiro Uzuka
- Center for Frontier Research, National Institute of GeneticsMishima, Japan
- Department of Genetics, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)Mishima, Japan
| | - Atsuko Era
- Center for Frontier Research, National Institute of GeneticsMishima, Japan
- Japan Science and Technology Agency, CRESTKawaguchi, Japan
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Enrichment and genome sequence of the group I.1a ammonia-oxidizing Archaeon "Ca. Nitrosotenuis uzonensis" representing a clade globally distributed in thermal habitats. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80835. [PMID: 24278328 PMCID: PMC3835317 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) of the phylum Thaumarchaeota and the high abundance of archaeal ammonia monooxygenase subunit A encoding gene sequences in many environments have extended our perception of nitrifying microbial communities. Moreover, AOA are the only aerobic ammonia oxidizers known to be active in geothermal environments. Molecular data indicate that in many globally distributed terrestrial high-temperature habits a thaumarchaeotal lineage within the Nitrosopumilus cluster (also called “marine” group I.1a) thrives, but these microbes have neither been isolated from these systems nor functionally characterized in situ yet. In this study, we report on the enrichment and genomic characterization of a representative of this lineage from a thermal spring in Kamchatka. This thaumarchaeote, provisionally classified as “Candidatus Nitrosotenuis uzonensis”, is a moderately thermophilic, non-halophilic, chemolithoautotrophic ammonia oxidizer. The nearly complete genome sequence (assembled into a single scaffold) of this AOA confirmed the presence of the typical thaumarchaeotal pathways for ammonia oxidation and carbon fixation, and indicated its ability to produce coenzyme F420 and to chemotactically react to its environment. Interestingly, like members of the genus Nitrosoarchaeum, “Candidatus N. uzonensis” also possesses a putative artubulin-encoding gene. Genome comparisons to related AOA with available genome sequences confirmed that the newly cultured AOA has an average nucleotide identity far below the species threshold and revealed a substantial degree of genomic plasticity with unique genomic regions in “Ca. N. uzonensis”, which potentially include genetic determinants of ecological niche differentiation.
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35
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Beam JP, Jay ZJ, Kozubal MA, Inskeep WP. Niche specialization of novel Thaumarchaeota to oxic and hypoxic acidic geothermal springs of Yellowstone National Park. ISME JOURNAL 2013; 8:938-51. [PMID: 24196321 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2013.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Revised: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Novel lineages of the phylum Thaumarchaeota are endemic to thermal habitats, and may exhibit physiological capabilities that are not yet observed in members of this phylum. The primary goals of this study were to conduct detailed phylogenetic and functional analyses of metagenome sequence assemblies of two different thaumarchaeal populations found in high-temperature (65-72 °C), acidic (pH~3) iron oxide and sulfur sediment environments of Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Metabolic reconstruction was coupled with detailed geochemical measurements of each geothermal habitat and reverse-transcriptase PCR to confirm the in situ activity of these populations. Phylogenetic analyses of ribosomal and housekeeping proteins place these archaea near the root of the thaumarchaeal branch. Metabolic reconstruction suggests that these populations are chemoorganotrophic and couple growth with the reduction of oxygen or nitrate in iron oxide habitats, or sulfur in hypoxic sulfur sediments. The iron oxide population has the potential for growth via the oxidation of sulfide to sulfate using a novel reverse sulfate reduction pathway. Possible carbon sources include aromatic compounds (for example, 4-hydroxyphenylacetate), complex carbohydrates (for example, starch), oligopeptides and amino acids. Both populations contain a type III ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase used for carbon dioxide fixation or adenosine monophosphate salvage. No evidence for the oxidation of ammonia was obtained from de novo sequence assemblies. Our results show that thermoacidophilic Thaumarchaeota from oxic iron mats and hypoxic sulfur sediments exhibit different respiratory machinery depending on the presence of oxygen versus sulfide, represent deeply rooted lineages within the phylum Thaumarchaeota and are endemic to numerous sites in YNP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob P Beam
- Thermal Biology Institute and Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Zackary J Jay
- Thermal Biology Institute and Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Mark A Kozubal
- Thermal Biology Institute and Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - William P Inskeep
- Thermal Biology Institute and Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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Pelve EA, Martens-Habbena W, Stahl DA, Bernander R. Mapping of active replication origins in vivo in thaum- and euryarchaeal replicons. Mol Microbiol 2013; 90:538-50. [PMID: 23991938 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/26/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
We report mapping of active replication origins in thaum- and euryarchaeal replicons using high-throughput sequencing-based marker frequency analysis. The chromosome of the thaumarchaeon Nitrosopumilus maritimus is shown to contain a single origin of replication, whereas the main chromosome in the halophilic euryarchaea Haloferax mediterranei and Haloferax volcanii each contains two origins. All replication origins specified bidirectional replication, and the two origins in the halophiles were initiated in synchrony. The pHM500 plasmid of H. mediterranei is shown to contain a single origin, and the copy numbers of five plasmid replicons in the two halophiles were inferred to be close to that of the main chromosome. Origin recognition boxes (ORBs) that provide binding sites for Orc1/Cdc6 replication initiator proteins are identified at all chromosomal origins, as well as in a range of additional thaumarchaeal species. An annotation update is provided for all three species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik A Pelve
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
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37
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Abstract
Growth and proliferation of all cell types require intricate regulation and coordination of chromosome replication, genome segregation, cell division and the systems that determine cell shape. Recent findings have provided insight into the cell cycle of archaea, including the multiple-origin mode of DNA replication, the initial characterization of a genome segregation machinery and the discovery of a novel cell division system. The first archaeal cytoskeletal protein, crenactin, was also recently described and shown to function in cell shape determination. Here, we outline the current understanding of the archaeal cell cycle and cytoskeleton, with an emphasis on species in the genus Sulfolobus, and consider the major outstanding questions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Christin Lindås
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
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The Nitrosopumilus maritimus CdvB, but not FtsZ, assembles into polymers. ARCHAEA-AN INTERNATIONAL MICROBIOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2013; 2013:104147. [PMID: 23818813 PMCID: PMC3684127 DOI: 10.1155/2013/104147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota are two major phyla of archaea which use distinct molecular apparatuses for cell division. Euryarchaea make use of the tubulin-related protein FtsZ, while Crenarchaea, which appear to lack functional FtsZ, employ the Cdv (cell division) components to divide. Ammonia oxidizing archaeon (AOA) Nitrosopumilus maritimus belongs to another archaeal phylum, the Thaumarchaeota, which has both FtsZ and Cdv genes in the genome. Here, we used a heterologous expression system to characterize FtsZ and Cdv proteins from N. maritimus by investigating the ability of these proteins to form polymers. We show that one of the Cdv proteins in N. maritimus, the CdvB (Nmar_0816), is capable of forming stable polymers when expressed in fission yeast. The N. maritimus CdvB is also capable of assembling into filaments in mammalian cells. However, N. maritimus FtsZ does not assemble into polymers in our system. The ability of CdvB, but not FtsZ, to polymerize is consistent with a recent finding showing that several Cdv proteins, but not FtsZ, localize to the mid-cell site in the dividing N. maritimus. Thus, we propose that it is Cdv proteins, rather than FtsZ, that function as the cell division apparatus in N. maritimus.
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Balasubramanian MK, Srinivasan R, Huang Y, Ng KH. Comparing contractile apparatus-driven cytokinesis mechanisms across kingdoms. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2012; 69:942-56. [PMID: 23027576 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 09/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cytokinesis is the final stage of the cell cycle during which a cell physically divides into two daughters through the assembly of new membranes (and cell wall in some cases) between the forming daughters. New membrane assembly can either proceed centripetally behind a contractile apparatus, as in the case of prokaryotes, archaea, fungi, and animals or expand centrifugally, as in the case of higher plants. In this article, we compare the mechanisms of cytokinesis in diverse organisms dividing through the use of a contractile apparatus. While an actomyosin ring participates in cytokinesis in almost all centripetally dividing eukaryotes, the majority of bacteria and archaea (except Crenarchaea) divide using a ring composed of the tubulin-related protein FtsZ. Curiously, despite molecular conservation of the division machinery components, division site placement and its cell cycle regulation occur by a variety of unrelated mechanisms even among organisms from the same kingdom. While molecular motors and cytoskeletal polymer dynamics contribute to force generation during eukaryotic cytokinesis, cytoskeletal polymer dynamics alone appears to be sufficient for force generation during prokaryotic cytokinesis. Intriguingly, there are life forms on this planet that appear to lack molecules currently known to participate in cytokinesis and how these cells perform cytokinesis remains a mystery waiting to be unravelled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohan K Balasubramanian
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, 1 Research Link, Singapore 117604.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Stahl
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-2700;
| | - José R. de la Torre
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California 94132-1722;
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41
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Zhang D, Aravind L. Novel transglutaminase-like peptidase and C2 domains elucidate the structure, biogenesis and evolution of the ciliary compartment. Cell Cycle 2012; 11:3861-75. [PMID: 22983010 PMCID: PMC3495828 DOI: 10.4161/cc.22068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to their role in motility, eukaryotic cilia serve as a distinct compartment for signal transduction and regulatory sequestration of biomolecules. Recent genetic and biochemical studies have revealed an extraordinary diversity of protein complexes involved in the biogenesis of cilia during each cell cycle. Mutations in components of these complexes are at the heart of human ciliopathies such as Nephronophthisis (NPHP), Meckel-Gruber syndrome (MKS), Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) and Joubert syndrome (JBTS). Despite intense studies, proteins in some of these complexes, such as the NPHP1-4-8 and the MKS, remain poorly understood. Using a combination of computational analyses we studied these complexes to identify novel domains in them which might throw new light on their functions and evolutionary origins. First, we identified both catalytically active and inactive versions of transglutaminase-like (TGL) peptidase domains in key ciliary/centrosomal proteins CC2D2A/MKS6, CC2D2B, CEP76 and CCDC135. These ciliary TGL domains appear to have originated from prokaryotic TGL domains that act as peptidases, either in a prokaryotic protein degradation system with the MoxR AAA+ ATPase, the precursor of eukaryotic dyneins and midasins, or in a peptide-ligase system with an ATP-grasp enzyme comparable to tubulin-modifying TTL proteins. We suggest that active ciliary TGL proteins are part of a cilia-specific peptidase system that might remove tubulin modifications or cleave cilia- localized proteins, while the inactive versions are likely to bind peptides and mediate key interactions during ciliogenesis. Second, we observe a vast radiation of C2 domains, which are key membrane-localization modules, in multiple ciliary proteins, including those from the NPHP1-4-8 and the MKS complexes, such as CC2D2A/MKS6, RPGRIP1, RPGRIP1L, NPHP1, NPHP4, C2CD3, AHI1/Jouberin and CEP76, most of which can be traced back to the last common eukaryotic ancestor. Identification of these TGL and C2 domains aid in the proper reconstruction of the Y-shaped linkers, which are key structures in the transitional zone of cilia, by allowing precise prediction of the multiple membrane-contacting and protein-protein interaction sites in these structures. These findings help decipher key events in the evolutionary separation of the ciliary and nuclear compartments in course of the emergence of the eukaryotic cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dapeng Zhang
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Diversity, physiology, and niche differentiation of ammonia-oxidizing archaea. Appl Environ Microbiol 2012; 78:7501-10. [PMID: 22923400 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01960-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 247] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitrification, the aerobic oxidation of ammonia to nitrate via nitrite, has been suggested to have been a central part of the global biogeochemical nitrogen cycle since the oxygenation of Earth. The cultivation of several ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) as well as the discovery that archaeal ammonia monooxygenase (amo)-like gene sequences are nearly ubiquitously distributed in the environment and outnumber their bacterial counterparts in many habitats fundamentally revised our understanding of nitrification. Surprising insights into the physiological distinctiveness of AOA are mirrored by the recognition of the phylogenetic uniqueness of these microbes, which fall within a novel archaeal phylum now known as Thaumarchaeota. The relative importance of AOA in nitrification, compared to ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), is still under debate. This minireview provides a synopsis of our current knowledge of the diversity and physiology of AOA, the factors controlling their ecology, and their role in carbon cycling as well as their potential involvement in the production of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. It emphasizes the importance of activity-based analyses in AOA studies and formulates priorities for future research.
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Pelve EA, Lindås AC, Knöppel A, Mira A, Bernander R. Four chromosome replication origins in the archaeonPyrobaculum calidifontis. Mol Microbiol 2012; 85:986-95. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2012.08155.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Bartossek R, Spang A, Weidler G, Lanzen A, Schleper C. Metagenomic analysis of ammonia-oxidizing archaea affiliated with the soil group. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:208. [PMID: 22723795 PMCID: PMC3379541 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2012] [Accepted: 05/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) have recently been recognized as a significant component of many microbial communities and represent one of the most abundant prokaryotic groups in the biosphere. However, only few AOA have been successfully cultivated so far and information on the physiology and genomic content remains scarce. We have performed a metagenomic analysis to extend the knowledge of the AOA affiliated with group I.1b that is widespread in terrestrial habitats and of which no genome sequences has been described yet. A fosmid library was generated from samples of a radioactive thermal cave (46°C) in the Austrian Central Alps in which AOA had been found as a major part of the microbial community. Out of 16 fosmids that possessed either an amoA or 16S rRNA gene affiliating with AOA, 5 were fully sequenced, 4 of which grouped with the soil/I.1b (Nitrososphaera-) lineage, and 1 with marine/I.1a (Nitrosopumilus-) lineage. Phylogenetic analyses of amoBC and an associated conserved gene were congruent with earlier analyses based on amoA and 16S rRNA genes and supported the separation of the soil and marine group. Several putative genes that did not have homologs in currently available marine Thaumarchaeota genomes indicated that AOA of the soil group contain specific genes that are distinct from their marine relatives. Potential cis-regulatory elements around conserved promoter motifs found upstream of the amo genes in sequenced (meta-) genomes differed in marine and soil group AOA. On one fosmid, a group of genes including amoA and amoB were flanked by identical transposable insertion sequences, indicating that amoAB could potentially be co-mobilized in the form of a composite transposon. This might be one of the mechanisms that caused the greater variation in gene order compared to genomes in the marine counterparts. Our findings highlight the genetic diversity within the two major and widespread lineages of Thaumarchaeota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Bartossek
- Centre for Geobiology, Department of Biology, University of Bergen Bergen, Norway
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Zhalnina K, de Quadros PD, Camargo FAO, Triplett EW. Drivers of archaeal ammonia-oxidizing communities in soil. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:210. [PMID: 22715335 PMCID: PMC3375578 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2012] [Accepted: 05/22/2012] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Soil ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are highly abundant and play an important role in the nitrogen cycle. In addition, AOA have a significant impact on soil quality. Nitrite produced by AOA and further oxidized to nitrate can cause nitrogen loss from soils, surface and groundwater contamination, and water eutrophication. The AOA discovered to date are classified in the phylum Thaumarchaeota. Only a few archaeal genomes are available in databases. As a result, AOA genes are not well annotated, and it is difficult to mine and identify archaeal genes within metagenomic libraries. Nevertheless, 16S rRNA and comparative analysis of ammonia monooxygenase sequences show that soils can vary greatly in the relative abundance of AOA. In some soils, AOA can comprise more than 10% of the total prokaryotic community. In other soils, AOA comprise less than 0.5% of the community. Many approaches have been used to measure the abundance and diversity of this group including DGGE, T-RFLP, q-PCR, and DNA sequencing. AOA have been studied across different soil types and various ecosystems from the Antarctic dry valleys to the tropical forests of South America to the soils near Mount Everest. Different studies have identified multiple soil factors that trigger the abundance of AOA. These factors include pH, concentration of available ammonia, organic matter content, moisture content, nitrogen content, clay content, as well as other triggers. Land use management appears to have a major effect on the abundance of AOA in soil, which may be the result of nitrogen fertilizer used in agricultural soils. This review summarizes the published results on this topic and suggests future work that will increase our understanding of how soil management and edaphoclimatic factors influence AOA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateryna Zhalnina
- Microbiology and Cell Science Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Genome sequence of "Candidatus Nitrosopumilus salaria" BD31, an ammonia-oxidizing archaeon from the San Francisco Bay estuary. J Bacteriol 2012; 194:2121-2. [PMID: 22461555 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00013-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) play important roles in nitrogen and carbon cycling in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we present the draft genome sequence for the ammonia-oxidizing archaeon "Candidatus Nitrosopumilus salaria" BD31, which was enriched in culture from sediments of the San Francisco Bay estuary. The genome sequences revealed many similarities to the genome of Nitrosopumilus maritimus.
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47
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Genome sequence of "Candidatus Nitrosoarchaeum limnia" BG20, a low-salinity ammonia-oxidizing archaeon from the San Francisco Bay estuary. J Bacteriol 2012; 194:2119-20. [PMID: 22461554 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00007-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we present the draft genome sequence of "Candidatus Nitrosoarchaeum limnia" BG20, an ammonia-oxidizing archaeon enriched in culture from low-salinity sediments of the San Francisco Bay estuary. The genome sequence revealed many similarities to the previously sequenced genome of "Ca. Nitrosoarchaeum limnia" SFB1 (enriched from a nearby site in San Francisco Bay) and is representative of a clade of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) found in low-salinity habitats worldwide.
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48
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Fuerst JA, Sagulenko E. Keys to eukaryality: planctomycetes and ancestral evolution of cellular complexity. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:167. [PMID: 22586422 PMCID: PMC3343278 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2012] [Accepted: 04/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Planctomycetes are known to display compartmentalization via internal membranes, thus resembling eukaryotes. Significantly, the planctomycete Gemmata obscuriglobus has not only a nuclear region surrounded by a double-membrane, but is also capable of protein uptake via endocytosis. In order to clearly analyze implications for homology of their characters with eukaryotes, a correct understanding of planctomycete structure is an essential starting point. Here we outline the major features of such structure necessary for assessing the case for or against homology with eukaryote cell complexity. We consider an evolutionary model for cell organization involving reductive evolution of Planctomycetes from a complex proto-eukaryote-like last universal common ancestor, and evaluate alternative models for origins of the unique planctomycete cell plan. Overall, the structural and molecular evidence is not consistent with convergent evolution of eukaryote-like features in a bacterium and favors a homologous relationship of Planctomycetes and eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Fuerst
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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49
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Abstract
Tubulins are a family of GTPases that are key components of the cytoskeleton in all eukaryotes and are distantly related to the FtsZ GTPase that is involved in cell division in most bacteria and many archaea. Among prokaryotes, bona fide tubulins have been identified only in bacteria of the genus Prosthecobacter. These bacterial tubulin genes appear to have been horizontally transferred from eukaryotes. Here we describe tubulins encoded in the genomes of thaumarchaeota of the genus Nitrosoarchaeum that we denote artubulins Phylogenetic analysis results are compatible with the origin of eukaryotic tubulins from artubulins. These findings expand the emerging picture of the origin of key components of eukaryotic functional systems from ancestral forms that are scattered among the extant archaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalya Yutin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
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50
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Molloy S. Thaumarchaeota go it alone. Nat Rev Microbiol 2011. [DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro2708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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