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Irwin NAT, Richards TA. Self-assembling viral histones are evolutionary intermediates between archaeal and eukaryotic nucleosomes. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:1713-1724. [PMID: 38806669 PMCID: PMC11222145 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01707-9] [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: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Nucleosomes are DNA-protein complexes composed of histone proteins that form the basis of eukaryotic chromatin. The nucleosome was a key innovation during eukaryotic evolution, but its origin from histone homologues in Archaea remains unclear. Viral histone repeats, consisting of multiple histone paralogues within a single protein, may reflect an intermediate state. Here we examine the diversity of histones encoded by Nucleocytoviricota viruses. We identified 258 histones from 168 viral metagenomes with variable domain configurations including histone singlets, doublets, triplets and quadruplets, the latter comprising the four core histones arranged in series. Viral histone repeats branch phylogenetically between Archaea and eukaryotes and display intermediate functions in Escherichia coli, self-assembling into eukaryotic-like nucleosomes that stack into archaeal-like oligomers capable of impacting genomic activity and condensing DNA. Histone linkage also facilitates nucleosome formation, promoting eukaryotic histone assembly in E. coli. These data support the hypothesis that viral histone repeats originated in stem-eukaryotes and that nucleosome evolution proceeded through histone repeat intermediates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A T Irwin
- Merton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
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2
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Hu Y, Schwab S, Deiss S, Escudeiro P, van Heesch T, Joiner JD, Vreede J, Hartmann MD, Lupas AN, Alvarez BH, Alva V, Dame RT. Bacterial histone HBb from Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus compacts DNA by bending. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae485. [PMID: 38864377 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Histones are essential for genome compaction and transcription regulation in eukaryotes, where they assemble into octamers to form the nucleosome core. In contrast, archaeal histones assemble into dimers that form hypernucleosomes upon DNA binding. Although histone homologs have been identified in bacteria recently, their DNA-binding characteristics remain largely unexplored. Our study reveals that the bacterial histone HBb (Bd0055) is indispensable for the survival of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, suggesting critical roles in DNA organization and gene regulation. By determining crystal structures of free and DNA-bound HBb, we unveil its distinctive dimeric assembly, diverging from those of eukaryotic and archaeal histones, while also elucidating how it binds and bends DNA through interaction interfaces reminiscent of eukaryotic and archaeal histones. Building on this, by employing various biophysical and biochemical approaches, we further substantiated the ability of HBb to bind and compact DNA by bending in a sequence-independent manner. Finally, using DNA affinity purification and sequencing, we reveal that HBb binds along the entire genomic DNA of B. bacteriovorus without sequence specificity. These distinct DNA-binding properties of bacterial histones, showcasing remarkable similarities yet significant differences from their archaeal and eukaryotic counterparts, highlight the diverse roles histones play in DNA organization across all domains of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimin Hu
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Samuel Schwab
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333CC Leiden, The Netherlands; Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Centre for Interdisciplinary Genome Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Silvia Deiss
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Pedro Escudeiro
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thor van Heesch
- Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joe D Joiner
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jocelyne Vreede
- Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marcus D Hartmann
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrei N Lupas
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Birte Hernandez Alvarez
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Vikram Alva
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Remus T Dame
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333CC Leiden, The Netherlands; Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Centre for Interdisciplinary Genome Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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3
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Hocher A, Warnecke T. Nucleosomes at the Dawn of Eukaryotes. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae029. [PMID: 38366053 PMCID: PMC10919886 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae029] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Genome regulation in eukaryotes revolves around the nucleosome, the fundamental building block of eukaryotic chromatin. Its constituent parts, the four core histones (H3, H4, H2A, H2B), are universal to eukaryotes. Yet despite its exceptional conservation and central role in orchestrating transcription, repair, and other DNA-templated processes, the origins and early evolution of the nucleosome remain opaque. Histone-fold proteins are also found in archaea, but the nucleosome we know-a hetero-octameric complex composed of histones with long, disordered tails-is a hallmark of eukaryotes. What were the properties of the earliest nucleosomes? Did ancestral histones inevitably assemble into nucleosomes? When and why did the four core histones evolve? This review will look at the evolution of the eukaryotic nucleosome from the vantage point of archaea, focusing on the key evolutionary transitions required to build a modern nucleosome. We will highlight recent work on the closest archaeal relatives of eukaryotes, the Asgardarchaea, and discuss what their histones can and cannot tell us about the early evolution of eukaryotic chromatin. We will also discuss how viruses have become an unexpected source of information about the evolutionary path toward the nucleosome. Finally, we highlight the properties of early nucleosomes as an area where new tools and data promise tangible progress in the not-too-distant future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Hocher
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Tobias Warnecke
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Trinity College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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4
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Flipphi M, Harispe ML, Hamari Z, Kocsubé S, Scazzocchio C, Ramón A. An ascomycete H4 variant with an unknown function. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231705. [PMID: 38384781 PMCID: PMC10878826 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Histone variants leading to altered nucleosome structure, dynamics and DNA accessibility occur frequently, albeit rarely for H4. We carried out a comprehensive in silico scrutiny of fungal genomes, which revealed the presence of a novel H4 variant (H4E) in the ascomycetes, throughout the Pezizomycotina, in basal species of the Taphrinomycotina and also in the Glomeromycota. The coding cognate genes show a specific intron/exon organization, different from H4 canonical genes. H4Es diverge from canonical H4s mainly in the N- and C-terminal extensions, showing marked differences in the distribution and number of Lys and Arg residues, which may result in novel post-translational modifications. In Aspergillus nidulans (Pezizomycotina, Eurotiomycetes) the H4E variant protein level is low in mycelia. However, the encoding gene is well expressed at 37°C under nitrogen starvation. H4E localizes to the nucleus and interacts with H3, but its absence or overexpression does not result in any detectable phenotype. Deletion of only one of the of the two canonical H4 genes results in a strikingly impaired growth phenotype, which indicates that H4E cannot replace this canonical histone. Thus, an H4 variant is present throughout a whole subphylum of the ascomycetes, but with hitherto no experimentally detectable function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Flipphi
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - María Laura Harispe
- Instituto de Profesores Artigas, Consejo de Formación en Educación (CFE, ANEP), Uruguay
| | - Zsuzsanna Hamari
- Faculty of Science and Informatics, Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Sándor Kocsubé
- Faculty of Science and Informatics, Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Claudio Scazzocchio
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette 91198, France
| | - Ana Ramón
- Dpto. de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Sección Bioquímica, UdelaR, Uruguay
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5
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Talbert PB, Henikoff S, Armache KJ. Giant variations in giant virus genome packaging. Trends Biochem Sci 2023; 48:1071-1082. [PMID: 37777391 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Giant viruses (Nucleocytoviricota) have a largely conserved lifecycle, yet how they cram their large genomes into viral capsids is mostly unknown. The major capsid protein and the packaging ATPase (pATPase) comprise a highly conserved morphogenesis module in giant viruses, yet some giant viruses dispense with an icosahedral capsid, and others encode multiple versions of pATPases, including conjoined ATPase doublets, or encode none. Some giant viruses have acquired DNA-condensing proteins to compact their genomes, including sheath-like structures encasing folded DNA or densely packed viral nucleosomes that show a resemblance to eukaryotic nucleosomes at the telomeres. Here, we review what is known and unknown about these ATPases and condensing proteins, and place these variations in the context of viral lifecycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Talbert
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Karim-Jean Armache
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
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Zhao Y, Kuang W, An Q, Li J, Wang Y, Deng Z. Cryo-EM structures of African swine fever virus topoisomerase. mBio 2023; 14:e0122823. [PMID: 37610250 PMCID: PMC10653817 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01228-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly contagious virus that causes lethal hemorrhagic diseases known as African swine fever (ASF) with a case fatality rate of 100%. There is an urgent need to develop anti-ASFV drugs. We determine the first high-resolution structures of viral topoisomerase ASFV P1192R in both the closed and open C-gate forms. P1192R shows a similar overall architecture with eukaryotic and prokaryotic type II topoisomerases, which have been successful targets of many antimicrobials and anticancer drugs, with the most similarity to yeast topo II. P1192R also exhibits differences in the details of active site configuration, which are important to enzyme activity. These two structures offer useful structural information for antiviral drug design and provide structural evidence to support that eukaryotic type IIA topoisomerase likely originated from horizontal gene transfer from the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhao
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Antiviral Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenhua Kuang
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Antiviral Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qiyin An
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Antiviral Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinyue Li
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Antiviral Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Antiviral Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zengqin Deng
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Antiviral Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Jiangxia Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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7
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A giant virus genome is densely packaged by stable nucleosomes within virions. Mol Cell 2022; 82:4458-4470.e5. [PMID: 36370708 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The two doublet histones of Marseillevirus are distantly related to the four eukaryotic core histones and wrap 121 base pairs of DNA to form remarkably similar nucleosomes. By permeabilizing Marseillevirus virions and performing genome-wide nuclease digestion, chemical cleavage, and mass spectrometry assays, we find that the higher-order organization of Marseillevirus chromatin fundamentally differs from that of eukaryotes. Marseillevirus nucleosomes fully protect DNA within virions as closely abutted 121-bp DNA-wrapped cores without linker DNA or phasing along genes. Likewise, we observed that nucleosomes reconstituted onto multi-copy tandem repeats of a nucleosome-positioning sequence are tightly packed. Dense promiscuous packing of fully wrapped nucleosomes rather than "beads on a string" with genic punctuation represents a distinct mode of DNA packaging by histones. We suggest that doublet histones have evolved for viral genome protection and may resemble an early stage of histone differentiation leading to the eukaryotic octameric nucleosome.
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8
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Guglielmini J, Gaia M, Da Cunha V, Criscuolo A, Krupovic M, Forterre P. Viral origin of eukaryotic type IIA DNA topoisomerases. Virus Evol 2022; 8:veac097. [PMID: 36533149 PMCID: PMC9752973 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veac097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Type II DNA topoisomerases of the family A (Topo IIAs) are present in all Bacteria (DNA gyrase) and eukaryotes. In eukaryotes, they play a major role in transcription, DNA replication, chromosome segregation, and modulation of chromosome architecture. The origin of eukaryotic Topo IIA remains mysterious since they are very divergent from their bacterial homologs and have no orthologs in Archaea. Interestingly, eukaryotic Topo IIAs have close homologs in viruses of the phylum Nucleocytoviricota, an expansive assemblage of large and giant viruses formerly known as the nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses. Topo IIAs are also encoded by some bacterioviruses of the class Caudoviricetes (tailed bacteriophages). To elucidate the origin of the eukaryotic Topo IIA, we performed in-depth phylogenetic analyses on a dataset combining viral and cellular Topo IIA homologs. Topo IIAs encoded by Bacteria and eukaryotes form two monophyletic groups nested within Topo IIA encoded by Caudoviricetes and Nucleocytoviricota, respectively. Importantly, Nucleocytoviricota remained well separated from eukaryotes after removing both Bacteria and Caudoviricetes from the data set, indicating that the separation of Nucleocytoviricota and eukaryotes is probably not due to long-branch attraction artifact. The topologies of our trees suggest that the eukaryotic Topo IIA was probably acquired from an ancestral member of the Nucleocytoviricota of the class Megaviricetes, before the emergence of the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA). This result further highlights a key role of these viruses in eukaryogenesis and suggests that early proto-eukaryotes used a Topo IIB instead of a Topo IIA for solving their DNA topological problems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Morgan Gaia
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, 91000 Evry, France
| | - Violette Da Cunha
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Alexis Criscuolo
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Mart Krupovic
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 6047, Archaeal Virology Unit, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Patrick Forterre
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 6047, Archaeal Virology Unit, 75015 Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, F-75015 Paris, France
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9
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Sato S, Dacher M, Kurumizaka H. Nucleosome Structures Built from Highly Divergent Histones: Parasites and Giant DNA Viruses. EPIGENOMES 2022; 6:epigenomes6030022. [PMID: 35997368 PMCID: PMC9396995 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes6030022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotes, genomic DNA is bound with histone proteins and packaged into chromatin. The nucleosome, a fundamental unit of chromatin, regulates the accessibility of DNA to enzymes involved in gene regulation. During the past few years, structural analyses of chromatin architectures have been limited to evolutionarily related organisms. The amino acid sequences of histone proteins are highly conserved from humans to yeasts, but are divergent in the deeply branching protozoan groups, including human parasites that are directly related to human health. Certain large DNA viruses, as well as archaeal organisms, contain distant homologs of eukaryotic histone proteins. The divergent sequences give rise to unique and distinct nucleosome architectures, although the fundamental principles of histone folding and DNA contact are highly conserved. In this article, we review the structures and biophysical properties of nucleosomes containing histones from the human parasites Giardia lamblia and Leishmania major, and histone-like proteins from the Marseilleviridae amoeba virus family. The presented data confirm the sharing of the overall DNA compaction system among evolutionally distant species and clarify the deviations from the species-specific nature of the nucleosome.
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10
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Grau-Bové X, Navarrete C, Chiva C, Pribasnig T, Antó M, Torruella G, Galindo LJ, Lang BF, Moreira D, López-Garcia P, Ruiz-Trillo I, Schleper C, Sabidó E, Sebé-Pedrós A. A phylogenetic and proteomic reconstruction of eukaryotic chromatin evolution. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1007-1023. [PMID: 35680998 PMCID: PMC7613034 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01771-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Histones and associated chromatin proteins have essential functions in eukaryotic genome organization and regulation. Despite this fundamental role in eukaryotic cell biology, we lack a phylogenetically-comprehensive understanding of chromatin evolution. Here, we combine comparative proteomics and genomics analysis of chromatin in eukaryotes and archaea. Proteomics uncovers the existence of histone post-translational modifications in Archaea. However, archaeal histone modifications are scarce, in contrast with the highly conserved and abundant marks we identify across eukaryotes. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that chromatin-associated catalytic functions (e.g., methyltransferases) have pre-eukaryotic origins, whereas histone mark readers and chaperones are eukaryotic innovations. We show that further chromatin evolution is characterized by expansion of readers, including capture by transposable elements and viruses. Overall, our study infers detailed evolutionary history of eukaryotic chromatin: from its archaeal roots, through the emergence of nucleosome-based regulation in the eukaryotic ancestor, to the diversification of chromatin regulators and their hijacking by genomic parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Grau-Bové
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Navarrete
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Thomas Pribasnig
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Archaea Biology Unit, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Meritxell Antó
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Guifré Torruella
- Unité d'Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - Luis Javier Galindo
- Unité d'Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - Bernd Franz Lang
- Robert Cedergren Centre in Bioinformatics and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - David Moreira
- Unité d'Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - Purificación López-Garcia
- Unité d'Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain.,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Christa Schleper
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Archaea Biology Unit, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eduard Sabidó
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arnau Sebé-Pedrós
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain. .,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.
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11
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Bell PJL. Eukaryogenesis: The Rise of an Emergent Superorganism. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:858064. [PMID: 35633668 PMCID: PMC9130767 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.858064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Although it is widely taught that all modern life descended via modification from a last universal common ancestor (LUCA), this dominant paradigm is yet to provide a generally accepted explanation for the chasm in design between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Counter to this dominant paradigm, the viral eukaryogenesis (VE) hypothesis proposes that the eukaryotes originated as an emergent superorganism and thus did not evolve from LUCA via descent with incremental modification. According to the VE hypothesis, the eukaryotic nucleus descends from a viral factory, the mitochondrion descends from an enslaved alpha-proteobacteria and the cytoplasm and plasma membrane descend from an archaeal host. A virus initiated the eukaryogenesis process by colonising an archaeal host to create a virocell that had its metabolism reprogrammed to support the viral factory. Subsequently, viral processes facilitated the entry of a bacterium into the archaeal cytoplasm which was also eventually reprogrammed to support the viral factory. As the viral factory increased control of the consortium, the archaeal genome was lost, the bacterial genome was greatly reduced and the viral factory eventually evolved into the nucleus. It is proposed that the interaction between these three simple components generated a superorganism whose emergent properties allowed the evolution of eukaryotic complexity. If the radical tenets of the VE hypothesis are ultimately accepted, current biological paradigms regarding viruses, cell theory, LUCA and the universal Tree of Life (ToL) should be fundamentally altered or completely abandoned.
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12
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Talbert PB, Armache KJ, Henikoff S. Viral histones: pickpocket's prize or primordial progenitor? Epigenetics Chromatin 2022; 15:21. [PMID: 35624484 PMCID: PMC9145170 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-022-00454-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The common histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 are the characteristic components of eukaryotic nucleosomes, which function to wrap DNA and compact the genome as well as to regulate access to DNA for transcription and replication in all eukaryotes. In the past two decades, histones have also been found to be encoded in some DNA viruses, where their functions and properties are largely unknown, though recently histones from two related viruses have been shown to form nucleosome-like structures in vitro. Viral histones can be highly similar to eukaryotic histones in primary sequence, suggesting they have been recently picked up from eukaryotic hosts, or they can be radically divergent in primary sequence and may occur as conjoined histone doublets, triplets, or quadruplets, suggesting ancient origins prior to the divergence of modern eukaryotes. Here, we review what is known of viral histones and discuss their possible origins and functions. We consider how the viral life cycle may affect their properties and histories, and reflect on the possible roles of viruses in the origin of the nucleus of modern eukaryotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Talbert
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Karim-Jean Armache
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
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13
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Raman P, Rominger MC, Young JM, Molaro A, Tsukiyama T, Malik HS. Novel classes and evolutionary turnover of histone H2B variants in the mammalian germline. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6517784. [PMID: 35099534 PMCID: PMC8857922 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Histones and their posttranslational modifications facilitate diverse chromatin functions in eukaryotes. Core histones (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4) package genomes after DNA replication. In contrast, variant histones promote specialized chromatin functions, including DNA repair, genome stability, and epigenetic inheritance. Previous studies have identified only a few H2B variants in animals; their roles and evolutionary origins remain largely unknown. Here, using phylogenomic analyses, we reveal the presence of five H2B variants broadly present in mammalian genomes. Three of these variants have been previously described: H2B.1, H2B.L (also called subH2B), and H2B.W. In addition, we identify and describe two new variants: H2B.K and H2B.N. Four of these variants originated in mammals, whereas H2B.K arose prior to the last common ancestor of bony vertebrates. We find that though H2B variants are subject to high gene turnover, most are broadly retained in mammals, including humans. Despite an overall signature of purifying selection, H2B variants evolve more rapidly than core H2B with considerable divergence in sequence and length. All five H2B variants are expressed in the germline. H2B.K and H2B.N are predominantly expressed in oocytes, an atypical expression site for mammalian histone variants. Our findings suggest that H2B variants likely encode potentially redundant but vital functions via unusual chromatin packaging or nonchromatin functions in mammalian germline cells. Our discovery of novel histone variants highlights the advantages of comprehensive phylogenomic analyses and provides unique opportunities to study how innovations in chromatin function evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pravrutha Raman
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, 98109, USA
| | - Mary C Rominger
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, 98109, USA
- Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington, 99362, USA
| | - Janet M Young
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, 98109, USA
| | - Antoine Molaro
- Genetics, Reproduction and Development (GReD) Institute, CNRS UMR 6293, INSERM U1103, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Toshio Tsukiyama
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, 98109, USA
| | - Harmit S Malik
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, 98109, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, 98109, USA
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14
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Irwin NAT, Pittis AA, Richards TA, Keeling PJ. Systematic evaluation of horizontal gene transfer between eukaryotes and viruses. Nat Microbiol 2021; 7:327-336. [PMID: 34972821 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-01026-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Gene exchange between viruses and their hosts acts as a key facilitator of horizontal gene transfer and is hypothesized to be a major driver of evolutionary change. Our understanding of this process comes primarily from bacteria and phage co-evolution, but the mode and functional importance of gene transfers between eukaryotes and their viruses remain anecdotal. Here we systematically characterized viral-eukaryotic gene exchange across eukaryotic and viral diversity, identifying thousands of transfers and revealing their frequency, taxonomic distribution and projected functions. Eukaryote-derived viral genes, abundant in the Nucleocytoviricota, highlighted common strategies for viral host-manipulation, including metabolic reprogramming, proteolytic degradation and extracellular modification. Furthermore, viral-derived eukaryotic genes implicate genetic exchange in the early evolution and diversification of eukaryotes, particularly through viral-derived glycosyltransferases, which have impacted structures as diverse as algal cell walls, trypanosome mitochondria and animal tissues. These findings illuminate the nature of viral-eukaryotic gene exchange and its impact on the evolution of viruses and their eukaryotic hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A T Irwin
- Merton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. .,Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. .,Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Alexandros A Pittis
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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15
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Abstract
Valencia-Sánchez et al. (2021) and Liu et al. (2021) provide structural and biological insights about the existence and importance of a nucleosome-like particle in a family of giant viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Vannini
- Division of Structural Biology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW7 3RP, UK; Fondazione Human Technopole, Structural Biology Research Centre, 20157, Milan, Italy.
| | - Ivan Marazzi
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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16
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Liu Y, Bisio H, Toner CM, Jeudy S, Philippe N, Zhou K, Bowerman S, White A, Edwards G, Abergel C, Luger K. Virus-encoded histone doublets are essential and form nucleosome-like structures. Cell 2021; 184:4237-4250.e19. [PMID: 34297924 PMCID: PMC8357426 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The organization of genomic DNA into defined nucleosomes has long been viewed as a hallmark of eukaryotes. This paradigm has been challenged by the identification of “minimalist” histones in archaea and more recently by the discovery of genes that encode fused remote homologs of the four eukaryotic histones in Marseilleviridae, a subfamily of giant viruses that infect amoebae. We demonstrate that viral doublet histones are essential for viral infectivity, localize to cytoplasmic viral factories after virus infection, and ultimately are found in the mature virions. Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of viral nucleosome-like particles show strong similarities to eukaryotic nucleosomes despite the limited sequence identify. The unique connectors that link the histone chains contribute to the observed instability of viral nucleosomes, and some histone tails assume structural roles. Our results further expand the range of “organisms” that require nucleosomes and suggest a specialized function of histones in the biology of these unusual viruses. Marseilleviridae encode proteins that resemble fused histones H4-H3 and H2B-H2A These histone doublets assemble into unstable nucleosome-like particles in vitro Histone doublets localize to the viral factory and are highly abundant in the virus They are essential for viral fitness and infectivity, a first for any virus
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Hugo Bisio
- Aix-Marseille University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Information Génomique & Structurale, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7256 (Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, FR3479, IM2B), 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France
| | - Chelsea Marie Toner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Sandra Jeudy
- Aix-Marseille University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Information Génomique & Structurale, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7256 (Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, FR3479, IM2B), 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France
| | - Nadege Philippe
- Aix-Marseille University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Information Génomique & Structurale, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7256 (Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, FR3479, IM2B), 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France
| | - Keda Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Samuel Bowerman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Alison White
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Garrett Edwards
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Chantal Abergel
- Aix-Marseille University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Information Génomique & Structurale, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7256 (Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, FR3479, IM2B), 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France.
| | - Karolin Luger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
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17
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Sahmi-Bounsiar D, Baudoin JP, Hannat S, Decloquement P, Chabrieres E, Aherfi S, La Scola B. Generation of Infectious Mimivirus Virions Through Inoculation of Viral DNA Within Acanthamoeba castellanii Shows Involvement of Five Proteins, Essentially Uncharacterized. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:677847. [PMID: 34305841 PMCID: PMC8299487 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.677847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most curious findings associated with the discovery of Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus (APMV) was the presence of many proteins and RNAs within the virion. Although some hypotheses on their role in Acanthamoeba infection have been put forward, none have been validated. In this study, we directly transfected mimivirus DNA with or without additional proteinase K treatment to extracted DNA into Acanthamoeba castellanii. In this way, it was possible to generate infectious APMV virions, but only without extra proteinase K treatment of extracted DNA. The virus genomes before and after transfection were identical. We searched for the remaining DNA-associated proteins that were digested by proteinase K and could visualize at least five putative proteins. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry comparison with protein databases allowed the identification of four hypothetical proteins—L442, L724, L829, and R387—and putative GMC-type oxidoreductase R135. We believe that L442 plays a major role in this protein–DNA interaction. In the future, expression in vectors and then diffraction of X-rays by protein crystals could help reveal the exact structure of this protein and its precise role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dehia Sahmi-Bounsiar
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Baudoin
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Sihem Hannat
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Philippe Decloquement
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Eric Chabrieres
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Sarah Aherfi
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Bernard La Scola
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), MEPHI, Marseille, France
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18
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Sahmi-Bounsiar D, Rolland C, Aherfi S, Boudjemaa H, Levasseur A, La Scola B, Colson P. Marseilleviruses: An Update in 2021. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:648731. [PMID: 34149639 PMCID: PMC8208085 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.648731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The family Marseilleviridae was the second family of giant viruses that was described in 2013, after the family Mimiviridae. Marseillevirus marseillevirus, isolated in 2007 by coculture on Acanthamoeba polyphaga, is the prototype member of this family. Afterward, the worldwide distribution of marseilleviruses was revealed through their isolation from samples of various types and sources. Thus, 62 were isolated from environmental water, one from soil, one from a dipteran, one from mussels, and two from asymptomatic humans, which led to the description of 67 marseillevirus isolates, including 21 by the IHU Méditerranée Infection in France. Recently, five marseillevirus genomes were assembled from deep sea sediment in Norway. Isolated marseilleviruses have ≈250 nm long icosahedral capsids and 348–404 kilobase long mosaic genomes that encode 386–545 predicted proteins. Comparative genomic analyses indicate that the family Marseilleviridae includes five lineages and possesses a pangenome composed of 3,082 clusters of genes. The detection of marseilleviruses in both symptomatic and asymptomatic humans in stool, blood, and lymph nodes, and an up-to-30-day persistence of marseillevirus in rats and mice, raise questions concerning their possible clinical significance that are still under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dehia Sahmi-Bounsiar
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), MEPHI, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Clara Rolland
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), MEPHI, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Sarah Aherfi
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), MEPHI, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Hadjer Boudjemaa
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science and Life, Hassiba Benbouali University of Chlef, Chlef, Algeria
| | - Anthony Levasseur
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), MEPHI, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Bernard La Scola
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), MEPHI, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Philippe Colson
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), MEPHI, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
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19
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The structure of a virus-encoded nucleosome. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2021; 28:413-417. [PMID: 33927388 PMCID: PMC8370576 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-021-00585-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Certain large DNA viruses, including those in the Marseilleviridae family, encode histones. Here we show that fused histone pairs Hβ-Hα and Hδ-Hγ from Marseillevirus are structurally analogous to the eukaryotic histone pairs H2B-H2A and H4-H3. These viral histones form 'forced' heterodimers, and a heterotetramer of four such heterodimers assembles DNA to form structures virtually identical to canonical eukaryotic nucleosomes.
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20
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Abstract
Eukaryotic nucleosomes organize chromatin by wrapping 147 bp of DNA around a histone core particle comprising two molecules each of histone H2A, H2B, H3 and H4. The DNA entering and exiting the particle may be bound by the linker histone H1. Whereas deposition of bulk histones is confined to S-phase, paralogs of the common histones, known as histone variants, are available to carry out functions throughout the cell cycle and accumulate in post-mitotic cells. Histone variants confer different structural properties on nucleosomes by wrapping more or less DNA or by altering nucleosome stability. They carry out specialized functions in DNA repair, chromosome segregation and regulation of transcription initiation, or perform tissue-specific roles. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster, we briefly examine new insights into histone origins and discuss variants from each of the histone families, focusing on how structural differences may alter their functions. Summary: Histone variants change the structural properties of nucleosomes by wrapping more or less DNA, altering nucleosome stability or carrying out specialized functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Talbert
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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21
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Bozorgmehr JH. The origin of chromosomal histones in a 30S ribosomal protein. Gene 2020; 726:144155. [PMID: 31629821 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2019.144155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Histones are genes that regulate chromatin structure. They are present in both eukaryotes and archaea, and form nucleosomes with DNA, but their exact evolutionary origins have hitherto remained a mystery. A longstanding hypothesis is that they have precursors in ribosomal proteins with whom they share much in common in terms of size and chemistry. By examining the proteome of the Asgard archaeon, Lokiarchaeum, the most conserved of all the histones, H4, is found to plausibly be homologous with one of its 30S ribosomal proteins, RPS6. This is based on both sequence identity and statistical analysis. The N-terminal tail, containing key sites involved in post-translational modifications, is notably present in the precursor gene. Although other archaeal groups possess similar homologs, these are not as close to H4 as the one found in Lokiarchaeum. The other core histones, H2A, H2B and H3, appear to have also evolved from the same ribosomal protein. Parts of H4 are also similar to another ribosomal protein, namely RPS15, suggesting that the ancestral precursor could have resembled both. Eukaryotic histones, in addition, appear to have an independent origin to that of their archaeal counterparts that evolved from similar, but still different, 30S subunit proteins, some of which are much more like histones in terms of their physical structure. The nucleosome may, therefore, be not only of archaeal but also of ribosomal origin.
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22
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Drinnenberg IA, Berger F, Elsässer SJ, Andersen PR, Ausió J, Bickmore WA, Blackwell AR, Erwin DH, Gahan JM, Gaut BS, Harvey ZH, Henikoff S, Kao JY, Kurdistani SK, Lemos B, Levine MT, Luger K, Malik HS, Martín-Durán JM, Peichel CL, Renfree MB, Rutowicz K, Sarkies P, Schmitz RJ, Technau U, Thornton JW, Warnecke T, Wolfe KH. EvoChromo: towards a synthesis of chromatin biology and evolution. Development 2019; 146:146/19/dev178962. [PMID: 31558570 DOI: 10.1242/dev.178962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Over the past few years, interest in chromatin and its evolution has grown. To further advance these interests, we organized a workshop with the support of The Company of Biologists to debate the current state of knowledge regarding the origin and evolution of chromatin. This workshop led to prospective views on the development of a new field of research that we term 'EvoChromo'. In this short Spotlight article, we define the breadth and expected impact of this new area of scientific inquiry on our understanding of both chromatin and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines A Drinnenberg
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3664, Paris 75005, France
| | - Frédéric Berger
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Simon J Elsässer
- Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Peter R Andersen
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Dr. Bohrgasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan Ausió
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 3P6, Canada
| | - Wendy A Bickmore
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | | | - Douglas H Erwin
- Department of Paleobiology, MRC-121, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
| | - James M Gahan
- Sars Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt. 55, 5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Brandon S Gaut
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Zachary H Harvey
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Division of Basic Sciences and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Joyce Y Kao
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA.,Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 3, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Siavash K Kurdistani
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Bernardo Lemos
- Program in Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mia T Levine
- Department of Biology, Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Karolin Luger
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry, CU Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Harmit S Malik
- Division of Basic Sciences and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - José M Martín-Durán
- Queen Mary University of London, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Catherine L Peichel
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marilyn B Renfree
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3010 VIC, Australia
| | - Kinga Rutowicz
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Sarkies
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences and Institute of Clinical Sciences, IMperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Robert J Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna A-1090, Austria
| | - Joseph W Thornton
- Department of Human Genetics, and Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Tobias Warnecke
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences and Institute of Clinical Sciences, IMperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Kenneth H Wolfe
- Conway Institute and School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
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23
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de Mendoza A, Sebé-Pedrós A. Origin and evolution of eukaryotic transcription factors. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2019; 58-59:25-32. [PMID: 31466037 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2019.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) have a central role in genome regulation directing gene transcription through binding specific DNA sequences. Eukaryotic genomes encode a large diversity of TF classes, each defined by unique DNA-interaction domains. Recent advances in genome sequencing and phylogenetic placement of diverse eukaryotic and archaeal species are re-defining the evolutionary history of eukaryotic TFs. The emerging view from a comparative genomics perspective is that the Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor (LECA) had an extensive repertoire of TFs, most of which represent eukaryotic evolutionary novelties. This burst of TF innovation coincides with the emergence of genomic nuclear segregation and complex chromatin organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex de Mendoza
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia; Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Arnau Sebé-Pedrós
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
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24
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Talbert PB, Meers MP, Henikoff S. Old cogs, new tricks: the evolution of gene expression in a chromatin context. Nat Rev Genet 2019; 20:283-297. [PMID: 30886348 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-019-0105-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Sophisticated gene-regulatory mechanisms probably evolved in prokaryotes billions of years before the emergence of modern eukaryotes, which inherited the same basic enzymatic machineries. However, the epigenomic landscapes of eukaryotes are dominated by nucleosomes, which have acquired roles in genome packaging, mitotic condensation and silencing parasitic genomic elements. Although the molecular mechanisms by which nucleosomes are displaced and modified have been described, just how transcription factors, histone variants and modifications and chromatin regulators act on nucleosomes to regulate transcription is the subject of considerable ongoing study. We explore the extent to which these transcriptional regulatory components function in the context of the evolutionarily ancient role of chromatin as a barrier to processes acting on DNA and how chromatin proteins have diversified to carry out evolutionarily recent functions that accompanied the emergence of differentiation and development in multicellular eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Talbert
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Michael P Meers
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.
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25
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Bhattacharyya S, Mattiroli F, Luger K. Archaeal DNA on the histone merry-go-round. FEBS J 2018; 285:3168-3174. [PMID: 29729078 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
How did the nucleosome, the fundamental building block of all eukaryotic chromatin, evolve? This central question has been impossible to address because the four core histones that make up the protein core of the nucleosome are so highly conserved in all eukaryotes. With the discovery of small, minimalist histone-like proteins in most known archaea, the likely origin of histones was identified. We recently determined the structure of an archaeal histone-DNA complex, revealing that archaeal DNA topology and protein-DNA interactions are astonishingly similar compared to the eukaryotic nucleosome. This was surprising since most archaeal histones form homodimers which consist only of the minimal histone fold and are devoid of histone tails and extensions. Unlike eukaryotic H2A-H2B and H3-H4 heterodimers that assemble into octameric particles wrapping ~ 150 bp DNA, archaeal histones form polymers around which DNA coils in a quasi-continuous superhelix. At any given point, this superhelix has the same geometry as nucleosomal DNA. This suggests that the architectural role of histones (i.e. the ability to bend DNA into a nucleosomal superhelix) was established before archaea and eukaryotes diverged, while the ability to form discrete particles, together with signaling functions of eukaryotic chromatin (i.e. epigenetic modifications) were secondary additions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Karolin Luger
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boulder, CO, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado at Boulder, CO, USA
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26
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Cryo-EM structure of a Marseilleviridae virus particle reveals a large internal microassembly. Virology 2018; 516:239-245. [PMID: 29407382 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2018.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Revised: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs) blur the line between viruses and cells. Melbournevirus (MelV, family Marseilleviridae) belongs to a new family of NCLDVs. Here we present an electron cryo-microscopy structure of the MelV particle, with the large triangulation number T = 309 constructed by 3080 pseudo-hexagonal capsomers. The most distinct feature of the particle is a large and dense body (LDB) consistently found inside all particles. Electron cryo-tomography of 147 particles shows that the LDB is preferentially located in proximity to the probable lipid bilayer. The LDB is 30 nm in size and its density matches that of a genome/protein complex. The observed LDB reinforces the structural complexity of MelV, setting it apart from other NCLDVs.
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27
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Molaro A, Young JM, Malik HS. Evolutionary origins and diversification of testis-specific short histone H2A variants in mammals. Genome Res 2018; 28:460-473. [PMID: 29549088 PMCID: PMC5880237 DOI: 10.1101/gr.229799.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic genomes must accomplish both compact packaging for genome stability and inheritance, as well as accessibility for gene expression. They do so using post-translational modifications of four ancient canonical histone proteins (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4) and by deploying histone variants with specialized chromatin functions. Some histone variants are conserved across all eukaryotes, whereas others are lineage-specific. Here, we performed detailed phylogenomic analyses of “short H2A histone” variants found in mammalian genomes. We discovered a previously undescribed typically-sized H2A variant in monotremes and marsupials, H2A.R, which may represent the common ancestor of the short H2As. We also discovered a novel class of short H2A histone variants in eutherian mammals, H2A.Q. We show that short H2A variants arose on the X Chromosome in the common ancestor of all eutherian mammals and diverged into four evolutionarily distinct clades: H2A.B, H2A.L, H2A.P, and H2A.Q. However, the repertoires of short histone H2A variants vary extensively among eutherian mammals due to lineage-specific gains and losses. Finally, we show that all four short H2As are subject to accelerated rates of protein evolution relative to both canonical and other variant H2A proteins including H2A.R. Our analyses reveal that short H2As are a unique class of testis-restricted histone variants displaying an unprecedented evolutionary dynamism. Based on their X-Chromosomal localization, genetic turnover, and testis-specific expression, we hypothesize that short H2A variants may participate in genetic conflicts involving sex chromosomes during reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Molaro
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Janet M Young
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Harmit S Malik
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
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28
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Jorquera R, González C, Clausen P, Petersen B, Holmes DS. Improved ontology for eukaryotic single-exon coding sequences in biological databases. DATABASE-THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL DATABASES AND CURATION 2018; 2018:1-6. [PMID: 30239665 PMCID: PMC6146118 DOI: 10.1093/database/bay089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Efficient extraction of knowledge from biological data requires the development of structured vocabularies to unambiguously define biological terms. This paper proposes descriptions and definitions to disambiguate the term 'single-exon gene'. Eukaryotic Single-Exon Genes (SEGs) have been defined as genes that do not have introns in their protein coding sequences. They have been studied not only to determine their origin and evolution but also because their expression has been linked to several types of human cancer and neurological/developmental disorders and many exhibit tissue-specific transcription. Unfortunately, the term 'SEGs' is rife with ambiguity, leading to biological misinterpretations. In the classic definition, no distinction is made between SEGs that harbor introns in their untranslated regions (UTRs) versus those without. This distinction is important to make because the presence of introns in UTRs affects transcriptional regulation and post-transcriptional processing of the mRNA. In addition, recent whole-transcriptome shotgun sequencing has led to the discovery of many examples of single-exon mRNAs that arise from alternative splicing of multi-exon genes, these single-exon isoforms are being confused with SEGs despite their clearly different origin. The increasing expansion of RNA-seq datasets makes it imperative to distinguish the different SEG types before annotation errors become indelibly propagated in biological databases. This paper develops a structured vocabulary for their disambiguation, allowing a major reassessment of their evolutionary trajectories, regulation, RNA processing and transport, and provides the opportunity to improve the detection of gene associations with disorders including cancers, neurological and developmental diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roddy Jorquera
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundacion Ciencia & Vida, Avenida Zañartu 1482, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile.,Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carolina González
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundacion Ciencia & Vida, Avenida Zañartu 1482, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - Philip Clausen
- Department of Bio and Health Informatics, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Bent Petersen
- Department of Bio and Health Informatics, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.,Centre of Excellence for Omics-Driven Computational Biodiscovery (COMBio), Faculty of Applied Sciences, AIMST University, Kedah, Malaysia
| | - David S Holmes
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundacion Ciencia & Vida, Avenida Zañartu 1482, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile.,Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
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29
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Aherfi S, Colson P, La Scola B, Raoult D. Giant Viruses of Amoebas: An Update. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:349. [PMID: 27047465 PMCID: PMC4801854 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During the 12 past years, five new or putative virus families encompassing several members, namely Mimiviridae, Marseilleviridae, pandoraviruses, faustoviruses, and virophages were described. In addition, Pithovirus sibericum and Mollivirus sibericum represent type strains of putative new giant virus families. All these viruses were isolated using amoebal coculture methods. These giant viruses were linked by phylogenomic analyses to other large DNA viruses. They were then proposed to be classified in a new viral order, the Megavirales, on the basis of their common origin, as shown by a set of ancestral genes encoding key viral functions, a common virion architecture, and shared major biological features including replication inside cytoplasmic factories. Megavirales is increasingly demonstrated to stand in the tree of life aside Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya, and the megavirus ancestor is suspected to be as ancient as cellular ancestors. In addition, giant amoebal viruses are visible under a light microscope and display many phenotypic and genomic features not found in other viruses, while they share other characteristics with parasitic microbes. Moreover, these organisms appear to be common inhabitants of our biosphere, and mimiviruses and marseilleviruses were isolated from human samples and associated to diseases. In the present review, we describe the main features and recent findings on these giant amoebal viruses and virophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Aherfi
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UM63 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7278 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement 198 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1095, Aix-Marseille UniversitéMarseille, France; Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Timone, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Clinique et Biologique, Fédération de Bactériologie-Hygiène-VirologieMarseille, France
| | - Philippe Colson
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UM63 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7278 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement 198 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1095, Aix-Marseille UniversitéMarseille, France; Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Timone, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Clinique et Biologique, Fédération de Bactériologie-Hygiène-VirologieMarseille, France
| | - Bernard La Scola
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UM63 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7278 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement 198 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1095, Aix-Marseille UniversitéMarseille, France; Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Timone, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Clinique et Biologique, Fédération de Bactériologie-Hygiène-VirologieMarseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UM63 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7278 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement 198 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1095, Aix-Marseille UniversitéMarseille, France; Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Timone, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Clinique et Biologique, Fédération de Bactériologie-Hygiène-VirologieMarseille, France
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