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Zhu P, Hou J, Xiong Y, Xie R, Wang Y, Wang F. Expanded Archaeal Genomes Shed New Light on the Evolution of Isoprenoid Biosynthesis. Microorganisms 2024; 12:707. [PMID: 38674651 PMCID: PMC11052028 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Isoprenoids and their derivatives, essential for all cellular life on Earth, are particularly crucial in archaeal membrane lipids, suggesting that their biosynthesis pathways have ancient origins and play pivotal roles in the evolution of early life. Despite all eukaryotes, archaea, and a few bacterial lineages being known to exclusively use the mevalonate (MVA) pathway to synthesize isoprenoids, the origin and evolutionary trajectory of the MVA pathway remain controversial. Here, we conducted a thorough comparison and phylogenetic analysis of key enzymes across the four types of MVA pathway, with the particular inclusion of metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) from uncultivated archaea. Our findings support an archaeal origin of the MVA pathway, likely postdating the divergence of Bacteria and Archaea from the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA), thus implying the LUCA's enzymatic inability for isoprenoid biosynthesis. Notably, the Asgard archaea are implicated in playing central roles in the evolution of the MVA pathway, serving not only as putative ancestors of the eukaryote- and Thermoplasma-type routes, but also as crucial mediators in the gene transfer to eukaryotes, possibly during eukaryogenesis. Overall, this study advances our understanding of the origin and evolutionary history of the MVA pathway, providing unique insights into the lipid divide and the evolution of early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; (P.Z.); (J.H.); (Y.X.); (R.X.)
| | - Jialin Hou
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; (P.Z.); (J.H.); (Y.X.); (R.X.)
| | - Yixuan Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; (P.Z.); (J.H.); (Y.X.); (R.X.)
| | - Ruize Xie
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; (P.Z.); (J.H.); (Y.X.); (R.X.)
| | - Yinzhao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China;
| | - Fengping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; (P.Z.); (J.H.); (Y.X.); (R.X.)
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China;
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering, Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519080, China
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2
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Iqbal S, Begum F, Ullah I, Jalal N, Shaw P. Peeling off the layers from microbial dark matter (MDM): recent advances, future challenges, and opportunities. Crit Rev Microbiol 2024:1-21. [PMID: 38385313 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2024.2319669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Microbes represent the most common organisms on Earth; however, less than 2% of microbial species in the environment can undergo cultivation for study under laboratory conditions, and the rest of the enigmatic, microbial world remains mysterious, constituting a kind of "microbial dark matter" (MDM). In the last two decades, remarkable progress has been made in culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques. More recently, studies of MDM have relied on culture-independent techniques to recover genetic material through either unicellular genomics or shotgun metagenomics to construct single-amplified genomes (SAGs) and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), respectively, which provide information about evolution and metabolism. Despite the remarkable progress made in the past decades, the functional diversity of MDM still remains uncharacterized. This review comprehensively summarizes the recently developed culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques for characterizing MDM, discussing major challenges, opportunities, and potential applications. These activities contribute to expanding our knowledge of the microbial world and have implications for various fields including Biotechnology, Bioprospecting, Functional genomics, Medicine, Evolutionary and Planetary biology. Overall, this review aims to peel off the layers from MDM, shed light on recent advancements, identify future challenges, and illuminate the exciting opportunities that lie ahead in unraveling the secrets of this intriguing microbial realm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajid Iqbal
- Oujiang Lab (Zhejiang Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain Health), Wenzhou, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Farida Begum
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Ihsan Ullah
- College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Nasir Jalal
- Oujiang Lab (Zhejiang Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain Health), Wenzhou, China
| | - Peter Shaw
- Oujiang Lab (Zhejiang Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain Health), Wenzhou, China
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3
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Göker M, Oren A. Valid publication of names of two domains and seven kingdoms of prokaryotes. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2024; 74. [PMID: 38252124 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.006242] [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: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) now includes the categories domain and kingdom. For the purpose of the valid publication of their names under the ICNP, we consider here the two known domains, 'Bacteria' and 'Archaea', as well as a number of taxa suitable for the rank of kingdom, based on previous phylogenetic and taxonomic studies. It is proposed to subdivide the domain Bacteria into the kingdoms Bacillati, Fusobacteriati, Pseudomonadati and Thermotogati. This arrangement reflects contemporary phylogenetic hypotheses as well as previous taxonomic proposals based on cell wall structure, including 'diderms' vs. 'monoderms', Gracilicutes vs. Firmicutes, 'Negibacteria' vs. 'Unibacteria', 'Hydrobacteria' vs. 'Terrabacteria', and 'Hydrobacterida' vs. 'Terrabacterida'. The domain Archaea is proposed to include the kingdoms Methanobacteriati, Nanobdellati and Thermoproteati, reflecting the previous division into 'Euryarchaeota', 'DPANN superphylum' and 'TACK superphylum'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Göker
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstrasse 7B, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Aharon Oren
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Institute of Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus - Givat Ram, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
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4
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Tirumalai MR, Sivaraman RV, Kutty LA, Song EL, Fox GE. Ribosomal Protein Cluster Organization in Asgard Archaea. ARCHAEA (VANCOUVER, B.C.) 2023; 2023:5512414. [PMID: 38314098 PMCID: PMC10833476 DOI: 10.1155/2023/5512414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
It has been proposed that the superphylum of Asgard Archaea may represent a historical link between the Archaea and Eukarya. Following the discovery of the Archaea, it was soon appreciated that archaeal ribosomes were more similar to those of Eukarya rather than Bacteria. Coupled with other eukaryotic-like features, it has been suggested that the Asgard Archaea may be directly linked to eukaryotes. However, the genomes of Bacteria and non-Asgard Archaea generally organize ribosome-related genes into clusters that likely function as operons. In contrast, eukaryotes typically do not employ an operon strategy. To gain further insight into conservation of the r-protein genes, the genome order of conserved ribosomal protein (r-protein) coding genes was identified in 17 Asgard genomes (thirteen complete genomes and four genomes with less than 20 contigs) and compared with those found previously in non-Asgard archaeal and bacterial genomes. A universal core of two clusters of 14 and 4 cooccurring r-proteins, respectively, was identified in both the Asgard and non-Asgard Archaea. The equivalent genes in the E. coli version of the cluster are found in the S10 and spc operons. The large cluster of 14 r-protein genes (uS19-uL22-uS3-uL29-uS17 from the S10 operon and uL14-uL24-uL5-uS14-uS8-uL6-uL18-uS5-uL30-uL15 from the spc operon) occurs as a complete set in the genomes of thirteen Asgard genomes (five Lokiarchaeotes, three Heimdallarchaeotes, one Odinarchaeote, and four Thorarchaeotes). Four less conserved clusters with partial bacterial equivalents were found in the Asgard. These were the L30e (str operon in Bacteria) cluster, the L18e (alpha operon in Bacteria) cluster, the S24e-S27ae-rpoE1 cluster, and the L31e, L12..L1 cluster. Finally, a new cluster referred to as L7ae was identified. In many cases, r-protein gene clusters/operons are less conserved in their organization in the Asgard group than in other Archaea. If this is generally true for nonribosomal gene clusters, the results may have implications for the history of genome organization. In particular, there may have been an early transition to or from the operon approach to genome organization. Other nonribosomal cellular features may support different relationships. For this reason, it may be important to consider ribosome features separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhan R. Tirumalai
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5001, USA
| | | | | | | | - George E. Fox
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5001, USA
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5
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Řezanka T, Kyselová L, Murphy DJ. Archaeal lipids. Prog Lipid Res 2023; 91:101237. [PMID: 37236370 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2023.101237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The major archaeal membrane glycerolipids are distinguished from those of bacteria and eukaryotes by the contrasting stereochemistry of their glycerol backbones, and by the use of ether-linked isoprenoid-based alkyl chains rather than ester-linked fatty acyl chains for their hydrophobic moieties. These fascinating compounds play important roles in the extremophile lifestyles of many species, but are also present in the growing numbers of recently discovered mesophilic archaea. The past decade has witnessed significant advances in our understanding of archaea in general and their lipids in particular. Much of the new information has come from the ability to screen large microbial populations via environmental metagenomics, which has revolutionised our understanding of the extent of archaeal biodiversity that is coupled with a strict conservation of their membrane lipid compositions. Significant additional progress has come from new culturing and analytical techniques that are gradually enabling archaeal physiology and biochemistry to be studied in real time. These studies are beginning to shed light on the much-discussed and still-controversial process of eukaryogenesis, which probably involved both bacterial and archaeal progenitors. Puzzlingly, although eukaryotes retain many attributes of their putative archaeal ancestors, their lipid compositions only reflect their bacterial progenitors. Finally, elucidation of archaeal lipids and their metabolic pathways have revealed potentially interesting applications that have opened up new frontiers for biotechnological exploitation of these organisms. This review is concerned with the analysis, structure, function, evolution and biotechnology of archaeal lipids and their associated metabolic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Řezanka
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 142 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Kyselová
- Research Institute of Brewing and Malting, Lípová 511, 120 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Denis J Murphy
- School of Applied Sciences, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, CF37 1DL, United Kingdom.
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6
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Eme L, Tamarit D, Caceres EF, Stairs CW, De Anda V, Schön ME, Seitz KW, Dombrowski N, Lewis WH, Homa F, Saw JH, Lombard J, Nunoura T, Li WJ, Hua ZS, Chen LX, Banfield JF, John ES, Reysenbach AL, Stott MB, Schramm A, Kjeldsen KU, Teske AP, Baker BJ, Ettema TJG. Inference and reconstruction of the heimdallarchaeial ancestry of eukaryotes. Nature 2023; 618:992-999. [PMID: 37316666 PMCID: PMC10307638 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06186-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In the ongoing debates about eukaryogenesis-the series of evolutionary events leading to the emergence of the eukaryotic cell from prokaryotic ancestors-members of the Asgard archaea play a key part as the closest archaeal relatives of eukaryotes1. However, the nature and phylogenetic identity of the last common ancestor of Asgard archaea and eukaryotes remain unresolved2-4. Here we analyse distinct phylogenetic marker datasets of an expanded genomic sampling of Asgard archaea and evaluate competing evolutionary scenarios using state-of-the-art phylogenomic approaches. We find that eukaryotes are placed, with high confidence, as a well-nested clade within Asgard archaea and as a sister lineage to Hodarchaeales, a newly proposed order within Heimdallarchaeia. Using sophisticated gene tree and species tree reconciliation approaches, we show that analogous to the evolution of eukaryotic genomes, genome evolution in Asgard archaea involved significantly more gene duplication and fewer gene loss events compared with other archaea. Finally, we infer that the last common ancestor of Asgard archaea was probably a thermophilic chemolithotroph and that the lineage from which eukaryotes evolved adapted to mesophilic conditions and acquired the genetic potential to support a heterotrophic lifestyle. Our work provides key insights into the prokaryote-to-eukaryote transition and a platform for better understanding the emergence of cellular complexity in eukaryotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Eme
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Laboratoire Écologie, Systématique, Évolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Daniel Tamarit
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Eva F Caceres
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Courtney W Stairs
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Valerie De Anda
- Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas Austin, Port Aransas, TX, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Max E Schön
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kiley W Seitz
- Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas Austin, Port Aransas, TX, USA
- Structural and Computational Biology, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nina Dombrowski
- Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas Austin, Port Aransas, TX, USA
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, AB Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - William H Lewis
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Felix Homa
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jimmy H Saw
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jonathan Lombard
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Takuro Nunoura
- Research Center for Bioscience and Nanoscience (CeBN), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Zheng-Shuang Hua
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - Lin-Xing Chen
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jillian F Banfield
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Emily St John
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Matthew B Stott
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Andreas Schramm
- Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kasper U Kjeldsen
- Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Andreas P Teske
- Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Brett J Baker
- Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas Austin, Port Aransas, TX, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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7
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Oren A, Göker M. Candidatus List. Lists of names of prokaryotic Candidatus phyla. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2023; 73. [PMID: 37159402 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.005821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aharon Oren
- The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Markus Göker
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstrasse 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
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8
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Zhang CJ, Liu YR, Cha G, Liu Y, Zhou XQ, Lu Z, Pan J, Cai M, Li M. Potential for mercury methylation by Asgard archaea in mangrove sediments. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:478-485. [PMID: 36639538 PMCID: PMC9938162 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01360-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a potent neurotoxin that bioaccumulates along food chains. The conversion of MeHg from mercury (Hg) is mediated by a variety of anaerobic microorganisms carrying hgcAB genes. Mangrove sediments are potential hotspots of microbial Hg methylation; however, the microorganisms responsible for Hg methylation are poorly understood. Here, we conducted metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses to investigate the diversity and distribution of putative microbial Hg-methylators in mangrove ecosystems. The highest hgcA abundance and expression occurred in surface sediments in Shenzhen, where the highest MeHg concentration was also observed. We reconstructed 157 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) carrying hgcA and identified several putative novel Hg-methylators, including one Asgard archaea (Lokiarchaeota). Further analysis of MAGs revealed that Deltaproteobacteria, Euryarchaeota, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, and Lokiarchaeota were the most abundant and active Hg-methylating groups, implying their crucial role in MeHg production. By screening publicly available MAGs, 104 additional Asgard MAGs carrying hgcA genes were identified from a wide range of coast, marine, permafrost, and lake sediments. Protein homology modelling predicts that Lokiarchaeota HgcAB proteins contained the highly conserved amino acid sequences and folding structures required for Hg methylation. Phylogenetic tree revealed that hgcA genes from Asgard clustered with fused hgcAB genes, indicating a transitional stage of Asgard hgcA genes. Our findings thus suggest that Asgard archaea are potential novel Hg-methylating microorganisms and play an important role in hgcA evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui-Jing Zhang
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu-Rong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Guihong Cha
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin-Quan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhongyi Lu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jie Pan
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mingwei Cai
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China
- Chemical Biology Institute, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China.
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, 518060, Shenzhen, China.
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9
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Actin cytoskeleton and complex cell architecture in an Asgard archaeon. Nature 2023; 613:332-339. [PMID: 36544020 PMCID: PMC9834061 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05550-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Asgard archaea are considered to be the closest known relatives of eukaryotes. Their genomes contain hundreds of eukaryotic signature proteins (ESPs), which inspired hypotheses on the evolution of the eukaryotic cell1-3. A role of ESPs in the formation of an elaborate cytoskeleton and complex cellular structures has been postulated4-6, but never visualized. Here we describe a highly enriched culture of 'Candidatus Lokiarchaeum ossiferum', a member of the Asgard phylum, which thrives anaerobically at 20 °C on organic carbon sources. It divides every 7-14 days, reaches cell densities of up to 5 × 107 cells per ml and has a significantly larger genome compared with the single previously cultivated Asgard strain7. ESPs represent 5% of its protein-coding genes, including four actin homologues. We imaged the enrichment culture using cryo-electron tomography, identifying 'Ca. L. ossiferum' cells on the basis of characteristic expansion segments of their ribosomes. Cells exhibited coccoid cell bodies and a network of branched protrusions with frequent constrictions. The cell envelope consists of a single membrane and complex surface structures. A long-range cytoskeleton extends throughout the cell bodies, protrusions and constrictions. The twisted double-stranded architecture of the filaments is consistent with F-actin. Immunostaining indicates that the filaments comprise Lokiactin-one of the most highly conserved ESPs in Asgard archaea. We propose that a complex actin-based cytoskeleton predated the emergence of the first eukaryotes and was a crucial feature in the evolution of the Asgard phylum by scaffolding elaborate cellular structures.
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10
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Zhou Z, Liu Y, Anantharaman K, Li M. The expanding Asgard archaea invoke novel insights into Tree of Life and eukaryogenesis. MLIFE 2022; 1:374-381. [PMID: 38818484 PMCID: PMC10989744 DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.12048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The division of organisms on the Tree of Life into either a three-domain (3D) tree or a two-domain (2D) tree has been disputed for a long time. Ever since the discovery of Archaea by Carl Woese in 1977 using 16S ribosomal RNA sequence as the evolutionary marker, there has been a great advance in our knowledge of not only the growing diversity of Archaea but also the evolutionary relationships between different lineages of living organisms. Here, we present this perspective to summarize the progress of archaeal diversity and changing notion of the Tree of Life. Meanwhile, we provide the latest progress in genomics/physiology-based discovery of Asgard archaeal lineages as the closest relative of Eukaryotes. Furthermore, we propose three major directions for future research on exploring the "next one" closest Eukaryote relative, deciphering the function of archaeal eukaryotic signature proteins and eukaryogenesis from both genomic and physiological aspects, and understanding the roles of horizontal gene transfer, viruses, and mobile elements in eukaryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Zhou
- Department of BacteriologyUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Yang Liu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced StudyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced StudyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
| | | | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced StudyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced StudyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
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11
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Zhang X, Liu Z, Xu W, Pan J, Huang Y, Cai M, Luo Z, Li M. Genomic insights into versatile lifestyle of three new bacterial candidate phyla. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 65:1547-1562. [PMID: 35060074 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-2037-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Metagenomic explorations of the Earth's biosphere enable the discovery of previously unknown bacterial lineages of phylogenetic and ecological significance. Here, we retrieved 11 metagenomic-assembled genomes (MAGs) affiliated to three new monophyletic bacterial lineages from the seawater of the Yap Trench. Phylogenomic analysis revealed that each lineage is a new bacterial candidate phylum, subsequently named Candidatus Qinglongiota, Candidatus Heilongiota, and Candidatus Canglongiota. Metabolic reconstruction of genomes from the three phyla suggested that they adopt a versatile lifestyle, with the potential to utilize various types of sugars, proteins, and/or short-chain fatty acids through anaerobic pathways. This was further confirmed by a global distribution map of the three phyla, indicating a preference for oxygen-limited or particle-attached niches, such as anoxic sedimentary environments. Of note, Candidatus Canglongiota genomes harbor genes for the complete Wood- Ljungdahl pathway and sulfate reduction that are similar to those identified in some sulfate-reducing bacteria. Evolutionary analysis indicated that gene gain and loss events, and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) play important roles in shaping the genomic and metabolic features of the three new phyla. This study presents the genomic insight into the ecology, metabolism, and evolution of three new phyla, which broadens the phylum-level diversity within the domain Bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxu Zhang
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Zongbao Liu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Biogenetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Jie Pan
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Yuhan Huang
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Mingwei Cai
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Zhuhua Luo
- Key Laboratory of Marine Biogenetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China
- School of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
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12
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Liu Y, Li M. The unstable evolutionary position of Korarchaeota and its relationship with other TACK and Asgard archaea. MLIFE 2022; 1:218-222. [PMID: 38817676 PMCID: PMC10989867 DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.12020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The applications of marker gene concatenation have been advanced to resolve the key questions in the Tree of Life. However, the interphylum evolutionary relationship between Korarchaeota of TACK (Thaumarchaeota, Aigarchaeota, Crenarchaeota, Korarchaeota) and Asgard archaea remains uncertain. We applied a marker gene ranking procedure to examine their evolutionary history. Our updated trees showed confident placements of (1) Korarchaeota as the basal branch to other TACK archaea and as a sister group to Asgard archaea; (2) Njordarchaeota at basal branch to Korarchaeota instead of within Asgard archaea. They highlight the importance of evaluating marker genes for phylogeny inference of the Archaea domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced StudyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced StudyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
| | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced StudyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced StudyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
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13
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Da Cunha V, Gaïa M, Forterre P. The expanding Asgard archaea and their elusive relationships with Eukarya. MLIFE 2022; 1:3-12. [PMID: 38818326 PMCID: PMC10989751 DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.12012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The discovery of Asgard archaea and the exploration of their diversity over the last 6 years have deeply impacted the scientific community working on eukaryogenesis, rejuvenating an intense debate on the topology of the universal tree of life (uTol). Here, we discuss how this debate is impacted by two recent publications that expand the number of Asgard lineages and eukaryotic signature proteins (ESPs). We discuss some of the main difficulties that can impair the phylogenetic reconstructions of the uTol and suggest that the debate about its topology is not settled. We notably hypothesize the existence of horizontal gene transfers between ancestral Asgards and proto-eukaryotes that could result in the observed abnormal behaviors of some Asgard ESPs and universal marker proteins. This hypothesis is relevant regardless of the scenario considered regarding eukaryogenesis. It implies that the Asgards were already diversified before the last eukaryotic common ancestor and shared the same biotopes with proto-eukaryotes. We suggest that some Asgards might be still living in symbiosis today with modern Eukarya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violette Da Cunha
- CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC)Université Paris‐SaclayGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Morgan Gaïa
- Génomique Métabolique, Génoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRSUniv. Evry, Université Paris‐SaclayEvryFrance
| | - Patrick Forterre
- CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC)Université Paris‐SaclayGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
- Département de Microbiologie, Institut PasteurParisFrance
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14
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Hedlund BP, Zhang C, Wang F, Rinke C, Martin WF. Editorial: Ecology, Metabolism and Evolution of Archaea-Perspectives From Proceedings of the International Workshop on Geo-Omics of Archaea. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:827229. [PMID: 35126338 PMCID: PMC8816317 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.827229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brian P. Hedlund
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Chuanlun Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Fengping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- School of Oceanography, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Christian Rinke
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - William F. Martin
- Institute for Molecular Evolution, University of Dusseldorf Medical School, Düsseldorf, Germany
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15
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Forterre P. Archaea: A Goldmine for Molecular Biologists and Evolutionists. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2522:1-21. [PMID: 36125740 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2445-6_1] [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: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The rebuttal of the prokaryote-eukaryote dichotomy and the elaboration of the three domains concept by Carl Woese and colleagues has been a breakthrough in biology. With the methodologies available at this time, they have shown that a single molecule, the 16S ribosomal RNA, could reveal the global organization of the living world. Later on, mining archaeal genomes led to major discoveries in archaeal molecular biology, providing a third model for comparative molecular biology. These analyses revealed the strong eukaryal flavor of the basic molecular fabric of Archaea and support rooting the universal tree between Bacteria and Arcarya (the clade grouping Archaea and Eukarya). However, in contradiction with this conclusion, it remains to understand why the archaeal and bacterial mobilomes are so similar and so different from the eukaryal one. These last years, the number of recognized archaea lineages (phyla?) has exploded. The archaeal nomenclature is now in turmoil and debates about the nature of the last universal common ancestor, the last archaeal common ancestor, and the topology of the tree of life are still going on. Interestingly, the expansion of the archaeal eukaryome, especially in the Asgard archaea, has provided new opportunities to study eukaryogenesis. In recent years, the application to Archaea of the new methodologies described in the various chapters of this book have opened exciting avenues to study the molecular biology and the physiology of these fascinating microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Forterre
- Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France.
- Institute for Integrative biology of the Cell. université Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France.
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