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Cho A, Tikhonenkov DV, Lax G, Prokina KI, Keeling PJ. Phylogenomic position of genetically diverse phagotrophic stramenopile flagellates in the sediment-associated MAST-6 lineage and a potentially halotolerant placididean. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 190:107964. [PMID: 37951557 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107964] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Unlike morphologically conspicuous ochrophytes, many flagellates belonging to basally branching stramenopiles are small and often overlooked. As a result, many of these lineages are known only through molecular surveys and identified as MArine STramenopiles (MAST), and remain largely uncharacterized at the cellular or genomic level. These likely phagotrophic flagellates are not only phylogenetically diverse, but also extremely abundant in some environments, making their characterization all the more important. MAST-6 is one example of a phylogenetically distinct group that has been known to be associated with sediments, but little else is known about it. Indeed, until the present study, only a single species from this group, Pseudophyllomitus vesiculosus (Pseudophyllomitidae), has been both formally described and associated with genomic information. Here, we describe four new species including two new genera of sediment-dwelling MAST-6, Vomastramonas tehuelche gen. et sp. nov., Mastreximonas tlaamin gen. et sp. nov., one undescribed Pseudophyllomitus sp., BSC2, and a new species belonging to Placididea, the potentially halotolerant Haloplacidia sinai sp. nov. We also provide two additional bikosian transcriptomes from a public culture collection, to allow for better phylogenetic reconstructions of deep-branching stramenopiles. With the SSU rRNA sequences of the new MAST-6 species, we investigate the phylogenetic diversity of the MAST-6 group and show a high relative abundance of MAST-6 related to M. tlaamin in samples across various depths and geographical locations. Using the new MAST-6 species, we also update the phylogenomic tree of stramenopiles, particularly focusing on the paraphyly of Bigyra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Cho
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Denis V Tikhonenkov
- Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Science, Borok 152742, Russia
| | - Gordon Lax
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kristina I Prokina
- Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Science, Borok 152742, Russia; Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, British Columbia, Canada
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2
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Füssy Z, Oborník M. Complex Endosymbioses I: From Primary to Complex Plastids, Serial Endosymbiotic Events. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2776:21-41. [PMID: 38502496 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3726-5_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
A considerable part of the diversity of eukaryotic phototrophs consists of algae with plastids that evolved from endosymbioses between two eukaryotes. These complex plastids are characterized by a high number of envelope membranes (more than two) and some of them contain a residual nucleus of the endosymbiotic alga called a nucleomorph. Complex plastid-bearing algae are thus chimeric cell assemblies, eukaryotic symbionts living in a eukaryotic host. In contrast, the primary plastids of the Archaeplastida (plants, green algae, red algae, and glaucophytes) possibly evolved from a single endosymbiosis with a cyanobacterium and are surrounded by two membranes. Complex plastids have been acquired several times by unrelated groups of eukaryotic heterotrophic hosts, suggesting that complex plastids are somewhat easier to obtain than primary plastids. Evidence suggests that complex plastids arose twice independently in the green lineage (euglenophytes and chlorarachniophytes) through secondary endosymbiosis, and four times in the red lineage, first through secondary endosymbiosis in cryptophytes, then by higher-order events in stramenopiles, alveolates, and haptophytes. Engulfment of primary and complex plastid-containing algae by eukaryotic hosts (secondary, tertiary, and higher-order endosymbioses) is also responsible for numerous plastid replacements in dinoflagellates. Plastid endosymbiosis is accompanied by massive gene transfer from the endosymbiont to the host nucleus and cell adaptation of both endosymbiotic partners, which is related to the trophic switch to phototrophy and loss of autonomy of the endosymbiont. Such a process is essential for the metabolic integration and division control of the endosymbiont in the host. Although photosynthesis is the main advantage of acquiring plastids, loss of photosynthesis often occurs in algae with complex plastids. This chapter summarizes the essential knowledge of the acquisition, evolution, and function of complex plastids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Füssy
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Oborník
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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3
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Preuss M, Díaz-Tapia P, Verbruggen H, Zuccarello GC. Gene-rich plastid genomes of two parasitic red algal species, Laurencia australis and L. verruciformis (Rhodomelaceae, Ceramiales), and a taxonomic revision of Janczewskia. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2023; 59:950-962. [PMID: 37638497 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic red algae are an interesting system for investigating the genetic changes that occur in parasites. These parasites have evolved independently multiple times within the red algae. The functional loss of plastid genomes can be investigated in these multiple independent examples, and fine-scale patterns may be discerned. The only plastid genomes from red algal parasites known so far are highly reduced and missing almost all photosynthetic genes. Our study assembled and annotated plastid genomes from the parasites Janczewskia tasmanica and its two Laurencia host species (Laurencia elata and one unidentified Laurencia sp. A25) from Australia and Janczewskia verruciformis, its host species (Laurencia catarinensis), and the closest known free-living relative (Laurencia obtusa) from the Canary Islands (Spain). For the first time we show parasitic red algal plastid genomes that are similar in size and gene content to free-living host species without any gene loss or genome reduction. The only exception was two pseudogenes (moeB and ycf46) found in the plastid genome of both isolates of J. tasmanica, indicating potential for future loss of these genes. Further comparative analyses with the three highly reduced plastid genomes showed possible gene loss patterns, in which photosynthetic gene categories were lost followed by other gene categories. Phylogenetic analyses did not confirm monophyly of Janczewskia, and the genus was subsumed into Laurencia. Further investigations will determine if any convergent small-scale patterns of gene loss exist in parasitic red algae and how these are applicable to other parasitic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maren Preuss
- National Institute of Water and Atmosphere Research, Wellington, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Pilar Díaz-Tapia
- Coastal Biology Research Group, Faculty of Sciences and Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), Centro Oceanográfico de A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Heroen Verbruggen
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Giuseppe C Zuccarello
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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4
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Sørensen MES, Zlatogursky VV, Onuţ-Brännström I, Walraven A, Foster RA, Burki F. A novel kleptoplastidic symbiosis revealed in the marine centrohelid Meringosphaera with evidence of genetic integration. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3571-3584.e6. [PMID: 37536342 PMCID: PMC7615077 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.017] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Plastid symbioses between heterotrophic hosts and algae are widespread and abundant in surface oceans. They are critically important both for extant ecological systems and for understanding the evolution of plastids. Kleptoplastidy, where the plastids of prey are temporarily retained and continuously re-acquired, provides opportunities to study the transitional states of plastid establishment. Here, we investigated the poorly studied marine centrohelid Meringosphaera and its previously unidentified symbionts using culture-independent methods from environmental samples. Investigations of the 18S rDNA from single-cell assembled genomes (SAGs) revealed uncharacterized genetic diversity within Meringosphaera that likely represents multiple species. We found that Meringosphaera harbors plastids of Dictyochophyceae origin (stramenopiles), for which we recovered six full plastid genomes and found evidence of two distinct subgroups that are congruent with host identity. Environmental monitoring by qPCR and catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) revealed seasonal dynamics of both host and plastid. In particular, we did not detect the plastids for 6 months of the year, which, combined with the lack of plastids in some SAGs, suggests that the plastids are temporary and the relationship is kleptoplastidic. Importantly, we found evidence of genetic integration of the kleptoplasts as we identified host-encoded plastid-associated genes, with evolutionary origins likely from the plastid source as well as from other alga sources. This is only the second case where host-encoded kleptoplast-targeted genes have been predicted in an ancestrally plastid-lacking group. Our results provide evidence for gene transfers and protein re-targeting as relatively early events in the evolution of plastid symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E S Sørensen
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; Institute of Microbial Cell Biology, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Vasily V Zlatogursky
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4 Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Organismal Biology, Program in Systematic Biology, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ioana Onuţ-Brännström
- Department of Organismal Biology, Program in Systematic Biology, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden; Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, 0562 Oslo, Norway
| | - Anne Walraven
- Department of Organismal Biology, Program in Systematic Biology, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rachel A Foster
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fabien Burki
- Department of Organismal Biology, Program in Systematic Biology, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden.
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5
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Akuh OA, Elahi R, Prigge ST, Seeber F. The ferredoxin redox system - an essential electron distributing hub in the apicoplast of Apicomplexa. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:868-881. [PMID: 35999149 PMCID: PMC9481715 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The apicoplast, a relict plastid found in most species of the phylum Apicomplexa, harbors the ferredoxin redox system which supplies electrons to enzymes of various metabolic pathways in this organelle. Recent reports in Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum have shown that the iron-sulfur cluster (FeS)-containing ferredoxin is essential in tachyzoite and blood-stage parasites, respectively. Here we review ferredoxin's crucial contribution to isoprenoid and lipoate biosynthesis as well as tRNA modification in the apicoplast, highlighting similarities and differences between the two species. We also discuss ferredoxin's potential role in the initial reductive steps required for FeS synthesis as well as recent evidence that offers an explanation for how NADPH required by the redox system might be generated in Plasmodium spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ojo-Ajogu Akuh
- FG16 Parasitology, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany; Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Rubayet Elahi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sean T Prigge
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Frank Seeber
- FG16 Parasitology, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.
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6
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Kamikawa R, Mochizuki T, Sakamoto M, Tanizawa Y, Nakayama T, Onuma R, Cenci U, Moog D, Speak S, Sarkozi K, Toseland A, van Oosterhout C, Oyama K, Kato M, Kume K, Kayama M, Azuma T, Ishii KI, Miyashita H, Henrissat B, Lombard V, Win J, Kamoun S, Kashiyama Y, Mayama S, Miyagishima SY, Tanifuji G, Mock T, Nakamura Y. Genome evolution of a nonparasitic secondary heterotroph, the diatom Nitzschia putrida. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabi5075. [PMID: 35486731 PMCID: PMC9054022 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi5075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Secondary loss of photosynthesis is observed across almost all plastid-bearing branches of the eukaryotic tree of life. However, genome-based insights into the transition from a phototroph into a secondary heterotroph have so far only been revealed for parasitic species. Free-living organisms can yield unique insights into the evolutionary consequence of the loss of photosynthesis, as the parasitic lifestyle requires specific adaptations to host environments. Here, we report on the diploid genome of the free-living diatom Nitzschia putrida (35 Mbp), a nonphotosynthetic osmotroph whose photosynthetic relatives contribute ca. 40% of net oceanic primary production. Comparative analyses with photosynthetic diatoms and heterotrophic algae with parasitic lifestyle revealed that a combination of gene loss, the accumulation of genes involved in organic carbon degradation, a unique secretome, and the rapid divergence of conserved gene families involved in cell wall and extracellular metabolism appear to have facilitated the lifestyle of a free-living secondary heterotroph.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryoma Kamikawa
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Takako Mochizuki
- Department of Informatics, National Institute of Genetics, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Mika Sakamoto
- Department of Informatics, National Institute of Genetics, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Tanizawa
- Department of Informatics, National Institute of Genetics, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Takuro Nakayama
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Ryo Onuma
- Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Ugo Cenci
- Université de Lille, CNRS, UMR 8576 – UGSF – Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Daniel Moog
- Laboratory for Cell Biology, Philipps University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8
- SYNMIKRO Research Center, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Samuel Speak
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Krisztina Sarkozi
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Andrew Toseland
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Cock van Oosterhout
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Kaori Oyama
- Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Misako Kato
- Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keitaro Kume
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Motoki Kayama
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tomonori Azuma
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Ken-ichiro Ishii
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hideaki Miyashita
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), CNRS, Université Aix-Marseille, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France
- INRA, USC 1408 AFMB, 13288 Marseille, France
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Vincent Lombard
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), CNRS, Université Aix-Marseille, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France
- INRA, USC 1408 AFMB, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Joe Win
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Sophien Kamoun
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Yuichiro Kashiyama
- Graduate School of Engineering, Fukui University of Technology, Fukui, Japan
| | - Shigeki Mayama
- Advanced Support Center for Science Teachers, Tokyo Gakugei University, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin-ya Miyagishima
- Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Goro Tanifuji
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba 305-0005, Japan
| | - Thomas Mock
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Yasukazu Nakamura
- Department of Informatics, National Institute of Genetics, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
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7
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Azuma T, Pánek T, Tice AK, Kayama M, Kobayashi M, Miyashita H, Suzaki T, Yabuki A, Brown MW, Kamikawa R. An enigmatic stramenopile sheds light on early evolution in Ochrophyta plastid organellogenesis. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6555011. [PMID: 35348760 PMCID: PMC9004409 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ochrophyta is an algal group belonging to the Stramenopiles and comprises diverse lineages of algae which contribute significantly to the oceanic ecosystems as primary producers. However, early evolution of the plastid organelle in Ochrophyta is not fully understood. In this study, we provide a well-supported tree of the Stramenopiles inferred by the large-scale phylogenomic analysis that unveils the eukaryvorous (nonphotosynthetic) protist Actinophrys sol (Actinophryidae) is closely related to Ochrophyta. We used genomic and transcriptomic data generated from A. sol to detect molecular traits of its plastid and we found no evidence of plastid genome and plastid-mediated biosynthesis, consistent with previous ultrastructural studies that did not identify any plastids in Actinophryidae. Moreover, our phylogenetic analyses of particular biosynthetic pathways provide no evidence of a current and past plastid in A. sol. However, we found more than a dozen organellar aminoacyl-tRNA synthases (aaRSs) that are of algal origin. Close relationships between aaRS from A. sol and their ochrophyte homologs document gene transfer of algal genes that happened before the divergence of Actinophryidae and Ochrophyta lineages. We further showed experimentally that organellar aaRSs of A. sol are targeted exclusively to mitochondria, although organellar aaRSs in Ochrophyta are dually targeted to mitochondria and plastids. Together, our findings suggested that the last common ancestor of Actinophryidae and Ochrophyta had not yet completed the establishment of host–plastid partnership as seen in the current Ochrophyta species, but acquired at least certain nuclear-encoded genes for the plastid functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomonori Azuma
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida nihonmatsu cho, Sakyo ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomáš Pánek
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Alexander K Tice
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Motoki Kayama
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida nihonmatsu cho, Sakyo ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Hideaki Miyashita
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida nihonmatsu cho, Sakyo ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Akinori Yabuki
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Japan
| | - Matthew W Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Ryoma Kamikawa
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa oiwake cho, Sakyo ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
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8
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Kořený L, Oborník M, Horáková E, Waller RF, Lukeš J. The convoluted history of haem biosynthesis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:141-162. [PMID: 34472688 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The capacity of haem to transfer electrons, bind diatomic gases, and catalyse various biochemical reactions makes it one of the essential biomolecules on Earth and one that was likely used by the earliest forms of cellular life. Since the description of haem biosynthesis, our understanding of this multi-step pathway has been almost exclusively derived from a handful of model organisms from narrow taxonomic contexts. Recent advances in genome sequencing and functional studies of diverse and previously neglected groups have led to discoveries of alternative routes of haem biosynthesis that deviate from the 'classical' pathway. In this review, we take an evolutionarily broad approach to illuminate the remarkable diversity and adaptability of haem synthesis, from prokaryotes to eukaryotes, showing the range of strategies that organisms employ to obtain and utilise haem. In particular, the complex evolutionary histories of eukaryotes that involve multiple endosymbioses and horizontal gene transfers are reflected in the mosaic origin of numerous metabolic pathways with haem biosynthesis being a striking case. We show how different evolutionary trajectories and distinct life strategies resulted in pronounced tensions and differences in the spatial organisation of the haem biosynthesis pathway, in some cases leading to a complete loss of a haem-synthesis capacity and, rarely, even loss of a requirement for haem altogether.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luděk Kořený
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Hopkins Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, U.K
| | - Miroslav Oborník
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice (Budweis), 370 05, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská, České Budějovice (Budweis), 31, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Horáková
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice (Budweis), 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Ross F Waller
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Hopkins Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, U.K
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice (Budweis), 370 05, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská, České Budějovice (Budweis), 31, Czech Republic
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