1
|
Gontier N. Situating physiology within evolutionary theory. J Physiol 2024; 602:2401-2415. [PMID: 37755322 DOI: 10.1113/jp284410] [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: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditionally defined as the science of the living, or as the field that beyond anatomical structure and bodily form studies functional organization and behaviour, physiology has long been excluded from evolutionary research. The main reason for this exclusion is that physiology has a presential and futuristic outlook on life, while evolutionary theory is traditionally defined as the study of natural history. In this paper, I re-evaluate these classic science divisions and situate physiology within the history of the evolutionary sciences, as well as within debates on the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis and the need for a Third Way of Evolution. I then briefly point out how evolutionary physiology in particular contributes to research on function, causation, teleonomy, agency and cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Gontier
- Applied Evolutionary Epistemology Lab & Centro de Filosofia das Ciências, Departamento de História e Filosofia das Ciências, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ouzounis CA. The Net of Life, a short story: Intricate patterns of gene flows across hundreds of extant genomes, all the way to LUCA. Biosystems 2024; 239:105199. [PMID: 38641198 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2024.105199] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Over the past quarter-century, the field of evolutionary biology has been transformed by the emergence of complete genome sequences and the conceptual framework known as the 'Net of Life.' This paradigm shift challenges traditional notions of evolution as a tree-like process, emphasizing the complex, interconnected network of gene flow that may blur the boundaries between distinct lineages. In this context, gene loss, rather than horizontal gene transfer, is the primary driver of gene content, with vertical inheritance playing a principal role. The 'Net of Life' not only impacts our understanding of genome evolution but also has profound implications for classification systems, the rapid appearance of new traits, and the spread of diseases. Here, we explore the core tenets of the 'Net of Life' and its implications for genome-scale phylogenetic divergence, providing a comprehensive framework for further investigations in evolutionary biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christos A Ouzounis
- Biological Computation & Computational Biology Group, Artificial Intelligence & Information Analysis Lab, School of Informatics, Faculty of Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessalonica, Thessalonica, Greece; Biological Computation & Process Laboratory, Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, Thessalonica, Greece.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
van der Gulik PTS, Hoff WD, Speijer D. The contours of evolution: In defence of Darwin's tree of life paradigm. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2400012. [PMID: 38436469 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202400012] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Both the concept of a Darwinian tree of life (TOL) and the possibility of its accurate reconstruction have been much criticized. Criticisms mostly revolve around the extensive occurrence of lateral gene transfer (LGT), instances of uptake of complete organisms to become organelles (with the associated subsequent gene transfer to the nucleus), as well as the implications of more subtle aspects of the biological species concept. Here we argue that none of these criticisms are sufficient to abandon the valuable TOL concept and the biological realities it captures. Especially important is the need to conceptually distinguish between organismal trees and gene trees, which necessitates incorporating insights of widely occurring LGT into modern evolutionary theory. We demonstrate that all criticisms, while based on important new findings, do not invalidate the TOL. After considering the implications of these new insights, we find that the contours of evolution are best represented by a TOL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Wouter D Hoff
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Dave Speijer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bozdag GO, Szeinbaum N, Conlin PL, Chen K, Fos SM, Garcia A, Penev PI, Schaible GA, Trubl G. Chapter 5: Major Biological Innovations in the History of Life on Earth. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S107-S123. [PMID: 38498818 PMCID: PMC11071111 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
All organisms living on Earth descended from a single, common ancestral population of cells, known as LUCA-the last universal common ancestor. Since its emergence, the diversity and complexity of life have increased dramatically. This chapter focuses on four key biological innovations throughout Earth's history that had a significant impact on the expansion of phylogenetic diversity, organismal complexity, and ecospace habitation. First is the emergence of the last universal common ancestor, LUCA, which laid the foundation for all life-forms on Earth. Second is the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis, which resulted in global geochemical and biological transformations. Third is the appearance of a new type of cell-the eukaryotic cell-which led to the origin of a new domain of life and the basis for complex multicellularity. Fourth is the multiple independent origins of multicellularity, resulting in the emergence of a new level of complex individuality. A discussion of these four key events will improve our understanding of the intertwined history of our planet and its inhabitants and better inform the extent to which we can expect life at different degrees of diversity and complexity elsewhere.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G. Ozan Bozdag
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nadia Szeinbaum
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Peter L. Conlin
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kimberly Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Santiago Mestre Fos
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amanda Garcia
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Petar I. Penev
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - George A. Schaible
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Gareth Trubl
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Colón-Santos S, Vázquez-Salazar A, Adams A, Campillo-Balderas JA, Hernández-Morales R, Jácome R, Muñoz-Velasco I, Rodriguez LE, Schaible MJ, Schaible GA, Szeinbaum N, Thweatt JL, Trubl G. Chapter 2: What Is Life? ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S40-S56. [PMID: 38498820 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The question "What is life?" has existed since the beginning of recorded history. However, the scientific and philosophical contexts of this question have changed and been refined as advancements in technology have revealed both fine details and broad connections in the network of life on Earth. Understanding the framework of the question "What is life?" is central to formulating other questions such as "Where else could life be?" and "How do we search for life elsewhere?" While many of these questions are addressed throughout the Astrobiology Primer 3.0, this chapter gives historical context for defining life, highlights conceptual characteristics shared by all life on Earth as well as key features used to describe it, discusses why it matters for astrobiology, and explores both challenges and opportunities for finding an informative operational definition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Colón-Santos
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Alberto Vázquez-Salazar
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alyssa Adams
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Ricardo Hernández-Morales
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rodrigo Jácome
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Israel Muñoz-Velasco
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Laura E Rodriguez
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Micah J Schaible
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - George A Schaible
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nadia Szeinbaum
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Jennifer L Thweatt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA. (Former)
| | - Gareth Trubl
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gunasekera RS, Raja KKB, Hewapathirana S, Tundrea E, Gunasekera V, Galbadage T, Nelson PA. ORFanID: A web-based search engine for the discovery and identification of orphan and taxonomically restricted genes. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291260. [PMID: 37879070 PMCID: PMC10599687 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
With the numerous genomes sequenced today, it has been revealed that a noteworthy percentage of genes in a given taxon of organisms in the phylogenetic tree of life do not have orthologous sequences in other taxa. These sequences are commonly referred to as "orphans" or "ORFans" if found as single occurrences in a single species or as "taxonomically restricted genes" (TRGs) when found at higher taxonomic levels. Quantitative and collective studies of these genes are necessary for understanding their biological origins. However, the current software for identifying orphan genes is limited in its functionality, database search range, and very complex algorithmically. Thus, researchers studying orphan genes must harvest their data from many disparate sources. ORFanID is a graphical web-based search engine that facilitates the efficient identification of both orphan genes and TRGs at all taxonomic levels, from DNA or amino acid sequences in the NCBI database cluster and other large bioinformatics repositories. The software allows users to identify genes that are unique to any taxonomic rank, from species to domain, using NCBI systematic classifiers. It provides control over NCBI database search parameters, and the results are presented in a spreadsheet as well as a graphical display. The tables in the software are sortable, and results can be filtered using the fuzzy search functionality. The visual presentation can be expanded and collapsed by the taxonomic tree to its various branches. Example results from searches on five species and gene expression data from specific orphan genes are provided in the Supplementary Information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard S. Gunasekera
- Department of Chemistry, Physics and Engineering, School of Science, Technology & Health, Biola University, La Mirada, CA, United States of America
| | - Komal K. B. Raja
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Suresh Hewapathirana
- European Bioinformatics Institute, Welcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | - Emanuel Tundrea
- Griffiths School of Management and IT, Emanuel University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania
| | - Vinodh Gunasekera
- Bioinformatics, Chesalon USA, Inc., Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Thushara Galbadage
- Department of Kinesiology and Public Health, School of Science, Technology & Health, Biola University, La Mirada, CA, United States of America
| | - Paul A. Nelson
- Biola University, La Mirada, CA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Mc Auley MT. An evolutionary perspective of lifespan and epigenetic inheritance. Exp Gerontol 2023; 179:112256. [PMID: 37460026 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2023.112256] [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: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
In the last decade epigenetics has come to the fore as a discipline which is central to biogerontology. Age associated epigenetic changes are routinely linked with pathologies, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease; moreover, epigenetic clocks are capable of correlating biological age with chronological age in many species including humans. Recent intriguing empirical observations also suggest that inherited epigenetic effects could influence lifespan/longevity in a variety of organisms. If this is the case, an imperative exists to reconcile lifespan/longevity associated inherited epigenetic processes with the evolution of ageing. This review will critically evaluate inherited epigenetic effects from an evolutionary perspective. The overarching aim is to integrate the evidence which suggests epigenetic inheritance modulates lifespan/longevity with the main evolutionary theories of ageing.
Collapse
|
8
|
Li L, Liu Y, Xiao Q, Xiao Z, Meng D, Yang Z, Deng W, Yin H, Liu Z. Dissecting the HGT network of carbon metabolic genes in soil-borne microbiota. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1173748. [PMID: 37485539 PMCID: PMC10361621 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1173748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbiota inhabiting soil plays a significant role in essential life-supporting element cycles. Here, we investigated the occurrence of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and established the HGT network of carbon metabolic genes in 764 soil-borne microbiota genomes. Our study sheds light on the crucial role of HGT components in microbiological diversification that could have far-reaching implications in understanding how these microbial communities adapt to changing environments, ultimately impacting agricultural practices. In the overall HGT network of carbon metabolic genes in soil-borne microbiota, a total of 6,770 nodes and 3,812 edges are present. Among these nodes, phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Firmicutes are predominant. Regarding specific classes, Actinobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidia, Actinomycetia, Betaproteobacteria, and Clostridia are dominant. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional assignments of glycosyltransferase (18.5%), glycolysis/gluconeogenesis (8.8%), carbohydrate-related transporter (7.9%), fatty acid biosynthesis (6.5%), benzoate degradation (3.1%) and butanoate metabolism (3.0%) are primarily identified. Glycosyltransferase involved in cell wall biosynthesis, glycosylation, and primary/secondary metabolism (with 363 HGT entries), ranks first overwhelmingly in the list of most frequently identified carbon metabolic HGT enzymes, followed by pimeloyl-ACP methyl ester carboxylesterase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and 3-oxoacyl-ACP reductase. Such HGT events mainly occur in the peripheral functions of the carbon metabolic pathway instead of the core section. The inter-microbe HGT genetic traits in soil-borne microbiota genetic sequences that we recognized, as well as their involvement in the metabolism and regulation processes of carbon organic, suggest a pervasive and substantial effect of HGT on the evolution of microbes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liangzhi Li
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yongjun Liu
- Hunan Tobacco Science Institute, Changsha, China
| | - Qinzhi Xiao
- Yongzhou Tobacco Company of Hunan Province, Yongzhou, China
| | - Zhipeng Xiao
- Hengyang Tobacco Company of Hunan Province, Hengyang, China
| | - Delong Meng
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhaoyue Yang
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wenqiao Deng
- Changsha Institute of Agricultural Science, Changsha, China
| | - Huaqun Yin
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhenghua Liu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
van der Gulik PTS, Hoff WD, Speijer D. Renewing Linnaean taxonomy: a proposal to restructure the highest levels of the Natural System. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:584-602. [PMID: 36366773 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12920] [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: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
During the last century enormous progress has been made in the understanding of biological diversity, involving a dramatic shift from macroscopic to microscopic organisms. The question now arises as to whether the Natural System introduced by Carl Linnaeus, which has served as the central system for organizing biological diversity, can accommodate the great expansion of diversity that has been discovered. Important discoveries regarding biological diversity have not been fully integrated into a formal, coherent taxonomic system. In addition, because of taxonomic challenges and conflicts, various proposals have been made to abandon key aspects of the Linnaean system. We review the current status of taxonomy of the living world, focussing on groups at the taxonomic level of phylum and above. We summarize the main arguments against and in favour of abandoning aspects of the Linnaean system. Based on these considerations, we conclude that retaining the Linnaean Natural System provides important advantages. We propose a relatively small number of amendments for extending this system, particularly to include the named rank of world (Latin alternative mundis) formally to include non-cellular entities (viruses), and the named rank of empire (Latin alternative imperium) to accommodate the depth of diversity in (unicellular) eukaryotes that has been uncovered. We argue that in the case of both the eukaryotic domain and the viruses the cladistic approach intrinsically fails. However, the resulting semi-cladistic system provides a productive way forward that can help resolve taxonomic challenges. The amendments proposed allow us to: (i) retain named taxonomic levels and the three-domain system, (ii) improve understanding of the main eukaryotic lineages, and (iii) incorporate viruses into the Natural System. Of note, the proposal described herein is intended to serve as the starting point for a broad scientific discussion regarding the modernization of the Linnaean system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Wouter D Hoff
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and Department of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - David Speijer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, AmsterdamUMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Willson SJ. Distinct-Cluster Tree-Child Phylogenetic Networks and Possible Uses to Study Polyploidy. Bull Math Biol 2022; 84:125. [PMID: 36123552 PMCID: PMC9485105 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-022-01084-6] [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: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
As phylogenetic networks become more widely studied and the networks grow larger, it may be useful to "simplify" such networks into especially tractable networks. Recent results have found methods to simplify networks into normal networks. By definition, normal networks contain no redundant arcs. Nevertheless, there may be redundant arcs in networks where speciation events involving allopolyploidy occur. It is therefore desirable to find a different tractable class of networks that may contain redundant arcs. This paper proposes distinct-cluster tree-child networks as such a class, here abbreviated as DCTC networks. They are shown to have a number of useful properties, such as quadratic growth of the number of vertices with the number of leaves. A DCTC network is shown to be essentially a normal network to which some redundant arcs may have been added without losing the tree-child property. Every phylogenetic network can be simplified into a DCTC network depending only on the structure of the original network. There is always a CSD map from the original network to the resulting DCTC network. As a result, the simplified network can readily be interpreted via a "wired lift" in which the original network is redrawn with each arc represented in one of two ways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Willson
- Department of Mathematics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Bremer N, Knopp M, Martin WF, Tria FDK. Realistic Gene Transfer to Gene Duplication Ratios Identify Different Roots in the Bacterial Phylogeny Using a Tree Reconciliation Method. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12070995. [PMID: 35888084 PMCID: PMC9322720 DOI: 10.3390/life12070995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The rooting of phylogenetic trees permits important inferences about ancestral states and the polarity of evolutionary events. Recently, methods that reconcile discordance between gene-trees and species-trees—tree reconciliation methods—are becoming increasingly popular for rooting species trees. Rooting via reconciliation requires values for a particular parameter, the gene transfer to gene duplication ratio (T:D), which in current practice is estimated on the fly from discordances observed in the trees. To date, the accuracy of T:D estimates obtained by reconciliation analyses has not been compared to T:D estimates obtained by independent means, hence the effect of T:D upon inferences of species tree roots is altogether unexplored. Here we investigated the issue in detail by performing tree reconciliations of more than 10,000 gene trees under a variety of T:D ratios for two phylogenetic cases: a bacterial (prokaryotic) tree with 265 species and a fungal-metazoan (eukaryotic) tree with 31 species. We show that the T:D ratios automatically estimated by a current tree reconciliation method, ALE, generate virtually identical T:D ratios across bacterial genes and fungal-metazoan genes. The T:D ratios estimated by ALE differ 10- to 100-fold from robust, ALE-independent estimates from real data. More important is our finding that the root inferences using ALE in both datasets are strongly dependent upon T:D. Using more realistic T:D ratios, the number of roots inferred by ALE consistently increases and, in some cases, clearly incorrect roots are inferred. Furthermore, our analyses reveal that gene duplications have a far greater impact on ALE’s preferences for phylogenetic root placement than gene transfers or gene losses do. Overall, we show that obtaining reliable species tree roots with ALE is only possible when gene duplications are abundant in the data and the number of falsely inferred gene duplications is low. Finding a sufficient sample of true gene duplications for rooting species trees critically depends on the T:D ratios used in the analyses. T:D ratios, while being important parameters of genome evolution in their own right, affect the root inferences with tree reconciliations to an unanticipated degree.
Collapse
|
12
|
Estrada A, Suárez-Díaz E, Becerra A. Reconstructing the Last Common Ancestor: Epistemological and Empirical Challenges. Acta Biotheor 2022; 70:15. [PMID: 35575816 DOI: 10.1007/s10441-022-09439-1] [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] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Reconstructing the genetic traits of the Last Common Ancestor (LCA) and the Tree of Life (TOL) are two examples of the reaches of contemporary molecular phylogenetics. Nevertheless, the whole enterprise has led to paradoxical results. The presence of Lateral Gene Transfer poses epistemic and empirical challenges to meet these goals; the discussion around this subject has been enriched by arguments from philosophers and historians of science. At the same time, a few but influential research groups have aimed to reconstruct the LCA with rich-in-detail hypotheses and high-resolution gene catalogs and metabolic traits. We argue that LGT poses insurmountable challenges for detailed and rich in details reconstructions and propose, instead, a middle-ground position with the reconstruction of a slim LCA based on traits under strong pressures of Negative Natural Selection, and for the need of consilience with evidence from organismal biology and geochemistry. We defend a cautionary perspective that goes beyond the statistical analysis of gene similarities and assumes the broader consequences of evolving empirical data and epistemic pluralism in the reconstruction of early life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amadeo Estrada
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - Edna Suárez-Díaz
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Coyoacán, DF, Mexico
| | - Arturo Becerra
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Coyoacán, DF, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Kong S, Pons JC, Kubatko L, Wicke K. Classes of explicit phylogenetic networks and their biological and mathematical significance. J Math Biol 2022; 84:47. [PMID: 35503141 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-022-01746-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary relationships among organisms have traditionally been represented using rooted phylogenetic trees. However, due to reticulate processes such as hybridization or lateral gene transfer, evolution cannot always be adequately represented by a phylogenetic tree, and rooted phylogenetic networks that describe such complex processes have been introduced as a generalization of rooted phylogenetic trees. In fact, estimating rooted phylogenetic networks from genomic sequence data and analyzing their structural properties is one of the most important tasks in contemporary phylogenetics. Over the last two decades, several subclasses of rooted phylogenetic networks (characterized by certain structural constraints) have been introduced in the literature, either to model specific biological phenomena or to enable tractable mathematical and computational analyses. In the present manuscript, we provide a thorough review of these network classes, as well as provide a biological interpretation of the structural constraints underlying these networks where possible. In addition, we discuss how imposing structural constraints on the network topology can be used to address the scalability and identifiability challenges faced in the estimation of phylogenetic networks from empirical data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sungsik Kong
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Joan Carles Pons
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, 07122, Spain
| | - Laura Kubatko
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.,Department of Statistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kristina Wicke
- Department of Mathematics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Sepich-Poore GD, Guccione C, Laplane L, Pradeu T, Curtius K, Knight R. Cancer's second genome: Microbial cancer diagnostics and redefining clonal evolution as a multispecies process: Humans and their tumors are not aseptic, and the multispecies nature of cancer modulates clinical care and clonal evolution: Humans and their tumors are not aseptic, and the multispecies nature of cancer modulates clinical care and clonal evolution. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2100252. [PMID: 35253252 PMCID: PMC10506734 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The presence and role of microbes in human cancers has come full circle in the last century. Tumors are no longer considered aseptic, but implications for cancer biology and oncology remain underappreciated. Opportunities to identify and build translational diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics that exploit cancer's second genome-the metagenome-are manifold, but require careful consideration of microbial experimental idiosyncrasies that are distinct from host-centric methods. Furthermore, the discoveries of intracellular and intra-metastatic cancer bacteria necessitate fundamental changes in describing clonal evolution and selection, reflecting bidirectional interactions with non-human residents. Reconsidering cancer clonality as a multispecies process similarly holds key implications for understanding metastasis and prognosing therapeutic resistance while providing rational guidance for the next generation of bacterial cancer therapies. Guided by these new findings and challenges, this Review describes opportunities to exploit cancer's metagenome in oncology and proposes an evolutionary framework as a first step towards modeling multispecies cancer clonality. Also see the video abstract here: https://youtu.be/-WDtIRJYZSs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Caitlin Guccione
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lucie Laplane
- Institut d’histoire et de philosophie des sciences et des techniques (UMR8590), CNRS & Panthéon-Sorbonne University, 75006 Paris, France
- Hematopoietic stem cells and the development of myeloid malignancies (UMR1287), Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Thomas Pradeu
- ImmunoConcept (UMR5164), CNRS & University of Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux Cedex, France
| | - Kit Curtius
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Spang A, Mahendrarajah TA, Offre P, Stairs CW. Evolving perspective on the origin and diversification of cellular life and the virosphere. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6537539. [PMID: 35218347 PMCID: PMC9169541 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The tree of life (TOL) is a powerful framework to depict the evolutionary history of cellular organisms through time, from our microbial origins to the diversification of multicellular eukaryotes that shape the visible biosphere today. During the past decades, our perception of the TOL has fundamentally changed, in part, due to profound methodological advances, which allowed a more objective approach to studying organismal and viral diversity and led to the discovery of major new branches in the TOL as well as viral lineages. Phylogenetic and comparative genomics analyses of these data have, among others, revolutionized our understanding of the deep roots and diversity of microbial life, the origin of the eukaryotic cell, eukaryotic diversity, as well as the origin, and diversification of viruses. In this review, we provide an overview of some of the recent discoveries on the evolutionary history of cellular organisms and their viruses and discuss a variety of complementary techniques that we consider crucial for making further progress in our understanding of the TOL and its interconnection with the virosphere.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anja Spang
- NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Utrecht University, The Netherlands and 1790 AB Den Burg.,Department of Cell- and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden SE-75123, Uppsala
| | - Tara A Mahendrarajah
- NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Utrecht University, The Netherlands and 1790 AB Den Burg
| | - Pierre Offre
- NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Utrecht University, The Netherlands and 1790 AB Den Burg
| | - Courtney W Stairs
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sweden Sölvegatan 35, 223 62 Lund
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Merging Arcs to Produce Acyclic Phylogenetic Networks and Normal Networks. Bull Math Biol 2022; 84:26. [PMID: 34982266 PMCID: PMC8727431 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-021-00986-1] [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: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
As phylogenetic networks grow increasingly complicated, systematic methods for simplifying them to reveal properties will become more useful. This paper considers how to modify acyclic phylogenetic networks into other acyclic networks by contracting specific arcs that include a set D. The networks need not be binary, so vertices in the networks may have more than two parents and/or more than two children. In general, in order to make the resulting network acyclic, additional arcs not in D must also be contracted. This paper shows how to choose D so that the resulting acyclic network is “pre-normal”. As a result, removal of all redundant arcs yields a normal network. The set D can be selected based only on the geometry of the network, giving a well-defined normal phylogenetic network depending only on the given network. There are CSD maps relating most of the networks. The resulting network can be visualized as a “wired lift” in the original network, which appears as the original network with each arc drawn in one of three ways.
Collapse
|
17
|
Harris BJ, Sheridan PO, Davín AA, Gubry-Rangin C, Szöllősi GJ, Williams TA. Rooting Species Trees Using Gene Tree-Species Tree Reconciliation. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2569:189-211. [PMID: 36083449 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2691-7_9] [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: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Interpreting phylogenetic trees requires a root, which provides the direction of evolution and polarizes ancestor-descendant relationships. But inferring the root using genetic data is difficult, particularly in cases where the closest available outgroup is only distantly related, which are common for microbes. In this chapter, we present a workflow for estimating rooted species trees and the evolutionary history of the gene families that evolve within them using probabilistic gene tree-species tree reconciliation. We illustrate the pipeline using a small dataset of prokaryotic genomes, for which the example scripts can be run using modest computer resources. We describe the rooting method used in this work in the context or other rooting strategies and discuss some of the limitations and opportunities presented by probabilistic gene tree-species tree reconciliation methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brogan J Harris
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Paul O Sheridan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Adrián A Davín
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Gergely J Szöllősi
- Dept. of Biological Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE "Lendület" Evolutionary Genomics Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Evolution, Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tom A Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Watson AK, Lopez P, Bapteste E. Retracing lineage history: time to emphasize genetic turnover. Trends Microbiol 2021; 29:957-958. [PMID: 34452802 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew K Watson
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 7, quai Saint Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Philippe Lopez
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 7, quai Saint Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Eric Bapteste
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 7, quai Saint Bernard, 75005 Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Suvorov A, Scornavacca C, Fujimoto MS, Bodily P, Clement M, Crandall KA, Whiting MF, Schrider DR, Bybee SM. Deep ancestral introgression shapes evolutionary history of dragonflies and damselflies. Syst Biol 2021; 71:526-546. [PMID: 34324671 PMCID: PMC9017697 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syab063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introgression is an important biological process affecting at least 10% of the extant species in the animal kingdom. Introgression significantly impacts inference of phylogenetic species relationships where a strictly binary tree model cannot adequately explain reticulate net-like species relationships. Here we use phylogenomic approaches to understand patterns of introgression along the evolutionary history of a unique, non-model insect system: dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). We demonstrate that introgression is a pervasive evolutionary force across various taxonomic levels within Odonata. In particular, we show that the morphologically "intermediate" species of Anisozygoptera (one of the three primary suborders within Odonata besides Zygoptera and Anisoptera), which retain phenotypic characteristics of the other two suborders, experienced high levels of introgression likely coming from zygopteran genomes. Additionally, we find evidence for multiple cases of deep inter-superfamilial ancestral introgression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anton Suvorov
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Celine Scornavacca
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE CC 064, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - M Stanley Fujimoto
- Department of Computer Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Paul Bodily
- Department of Computer Science, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, United States
| | - Mark Clement
- Department of Computer Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Keith A Crandall
- Computational Biology Institute, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Michael F Whiting
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States.,M.L. Bean Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Daniel R Schrider
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Seth M Bybee
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States.,M.L. Bean Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Ibrahim A, Colson P, Merhej V, Zgheib R, Maatouk M, Naud S, Bittar F, Raoult D. Rhizomal Reclassification of Living Organisms. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5643. [PMID: 34073251 PMCID: PMC8199106 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Living organisms interact with each other during their lifetime, leading to genomes rearrangement and sequences transfer. These well-known phenomena give these organisms mosaic genomes, which challenge their classification. Moreover, many findings occurred between the IXXth and XXIst century, especially the discovery of giant viruses and candidate phyla radiation (CPR). Here, we tried to provide an updated classification, which integrates 216 representative genomes of the current described organisms. The reclassification was expressed through a genetic network based on the total genomic content, not on a single gene to represent the tree of life. This rhizomal exploration represents, more accurately, the evolutionary relationships among the studied species. Our analyses show a separated branch named fifth TRUC (Things Resisting Uncompleted Classifications). This taxon groups CPRs together, independently from Bacteria, Archaea (which regrouped also Nanoarchaeota and Asgard members), Eukarya, and the giant viruses (recognized recently as fourth TRUC). Finally, the broadening of analysis methods will lead to the discovery of new organisms, which justify the importance of updating the classification at every opportunity. In this perspective, our pragmatic representation could be adjusted along with the progress of evolutionary studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Ibrahim
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (A.I.); (P.C.); (V.M.); (R.Z.); (M.M.); (S.N.)
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Philippe Colson
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (A.I.); (P.C.); (V.M.); (R.Z.); (M.M.); (S.N.)
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Vicky Merhej
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (A.I.); (P.C.); (V.M.); (R.Z.); (M.M.); (S.N.)
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Rita Zgheib
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (A.I.); (P.C.); (V.M.); (R.Z.); (M.M.); (S.N.)
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, SSA, VITROME, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Mohamad Maatouk
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (A.I.); (P.C.); (V.M.); (R.Z.); (M.M.); (S.N.)
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Sabrina Naud
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (A.I.); (P.C.); (V.M.); (R.Z.); (M.M.); (S.N.)
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Fadi Bittar
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (A.I.); (P.C.); (V.M.); (R.Z.); (M.M.); (S.N.)
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (A.I.); (P.C.); (V.M.); (R.Z.); (M.M.); (S.N.)
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, France
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Coleman GA, Davín AA, Mahendrarajah TA, Szánthó LL, Spang A, Hugenholtz P, Szöllősi GJ, Williams TA. A rooted phylogeny resolves early bacterial evolution. Science 2021; 372:372/6542/eabe0511. [PMID: 33958449 DOI: 10.1126/science.abe0511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A rooted bacterial tree is necessary to understand early evolution, but the position of the root is contested. Here, we model the evolution of 11,272 gene families to identify the root, extent of horizontal gene transfer (HGT), and the nature of the last bacterial common ancestor (LBCA). Our analyses root the tree between the major clades Terrabacteria and Gracilicutes and suggest that LBCA was a free-living flagellated, rod-shaped double-membraned organism. Contrary to recent proposals, our analyses reject a basal placement of the Candidate Phyla Radiation, which instead branches sister to Chloroflexota within Terrabacteria. While most gene families (92%) have evidence of HGT, overall, two-thirds of gene transmissions have been vertical, suggesting that a rooted tree provides a meaningful frame of reference for interpreting bacterial evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gareth A Coleman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Adrián A Davín
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Tara A Mahendrarajah
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 1790 AB Den Burg, Netherlands
| | - Lénárd L Szánthó
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,MTA-ELTE "Lendület" Evolutionary Genomics Research Group, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anja Spang
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 1790 AB Den Burg, Netherlands.,Department of Cell- and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Philip Hugenholtz
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Gergely J Szöllősi
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary. .,MTA-ELTE "Lendület" Evolutionary Genomics Research Group, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Evolution, Centre for Ecological Research, 1121 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tom A Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Abstract
The advent of comparative genomics in the late 1990s led to the discovery of extensive lateral gene transfer in prokaryotes. The resulting debate over whether life as a whole is best represented as a tree or a network has since given way to a general consensus in which trees and networks co-exist rather than stand in opposition. Embracing this consensus allows us to move beyond the question of which is true or false. The future of the tree of life debate lies in asking what trees and networks can, and should, do for science.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Blais
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
| | - John M Archibald
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Araújo LAL, Reis CRMD. Evolutionary pluralism and the ideal of a unified biology. HISTORIA, CIENCIAS, SAUDE--MANGUINHOS 2021; 28:393-411. [PMID: 34190786 DOI: 10.1590/s0104-59702021000200004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Biological evolution is often regarded as a central and unifying axis of biology. This article discusses historical aspects of this ideal of unification, as well as signs of its disintegration from the 1960s to 1980s. We argue that despite new proposals for the synthesis of biological knowledge, contemporary evolutionary biology is characterized by pluralism. The main points in favor of evolutionary pluralism are discussed and some consequences of this perspective are presented, particularly in terms of the ideal of a unified biology. Finally, we defend an evolutionary pluralism that critiques the ideal of unification as a scientific objective, but still favors local integrations.
Collapse
|
24
|
Steenwyk JL, Buida TJ, Labella AL, Li Y, Shen XX, Rokas A. PhyKIT: a broadly applicable UNIX shell toolkit for processing and analyzing phylogenomic data. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:2325-2331. [PMID: 33560364 PMCID: PMC8388027 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Diverse disciplines in biology process and analyze multiple sequence alignments (MSAs) and phylogenetic trees to evaluate their information content, infer evolutionary events and processes, and predict gene function. However, automated processing of MSAs and trees remains a challenge due to the lack of a unified toolkit. To fill this gap, we introduce PhyKIT, a toolkit for the UNIX shell environment with 30 functions that process MSAs and trees, including but not limited to estimation of mutation rate, evaluation of sequence composition biases, calculation of the degree of violation of a molecular clock, and collapsing bipartitions (internal branches) with low support. RESULTS To demonstrate the utility of PhyKIT, we detail three use cases: (1) summarizing information content in MSAs and phylogenetic trees for diagnosing potential biases in sequence or tree data; (2) evaluating gene-gene covariation of evolutionary rates to identify functional relationships, including novel ones, among genes; and (3) identify lack of resolution events or polytomies in phylogenetic trees, which are suggestive of rapid radiation events or lack of data. We anticipate PhyKIT will be useful for processing, examining, and deriving biological meaning from increasingly large phylogenomic datasets. AVAILABILITY PhyKIT is freely available on GitHub (https://github.com/JLSteenwyk/PhyKIT), PyPi (https://pypi.org/project/phykit/), and the Anaconda Cloud (https://anaconda.org/JLSteenwyk/phykit) under the MIT license with extensive documentation and user tutorials (https://jlsteenwyk.com/PhyKIT). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available on figshare (doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.13118600) and are available at Bioinformatics online.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob L Steenwyk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN, 37235, United States of America
| | - Thomas J Buida
- 9 City Place #312, Nashville, TN, 37209, United States of America
| | - Abigail L Labella
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN, 37235, United States of America
| | - Yuanning Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN, 37235, United States of America
| | - Xing-Xing Shen
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN, 37235, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Koonin EV, Makarova KS, Wolf YI. Evolution of Microbial Genomics: Conceptual Shifts over a Quarter Century. Trends Microbiol 2021; 29:582-592. [PMID: 33541841 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Prokaryote genomics started in earnest in 1995, with the complete sequences of two small bacterial genomes, those of Haemophilus influenzae and Mycoplasma genitalium. During the next quarter century, the prokaryote genome database has been growing exponentially, with no saturation in sight. For most of these 25 years, genome sequencing remained limited to cultivable microbes. Together with next-generation sequencing methods, advances in metagenomics and single-cell genomics have lifted this limitation, providing for an increasingly unbiased characterization of the global prokaryote diversity. Advances in computational genomics followed the progress of genome sequencing, even if occasionally lagging behind. Several major new branches of bacteria and archaea were discovered, including Asgard archaea, the apparent closest relatives of eukaryotes and expansive groups of bacteria and archaea with small genomes thought to be symbionts of other prokaryotes. Comparative analysis of numerous prokaryote genomes spanning a wide range of evolutionary distances changed the conceptual foundations of microbiology, supplanting the notion of species genomes with fixed gene sets with that of dynamic pangenomes and the notion of a single Tree of Life (ToL) with a statistical tree-like trend among individual gene trees. Strides were also made towards a theory and quantitative laws of prokaryote genome evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA.
| | - Kira S Makarova
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Yuri I Wolf
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Abstract
Developing a detailed understanding of how all known forms of life are related to one another in the tree of life has been a major preoccupation of biology since the idea of tree-like evolution first took hold. Since most life is microbial, our intuitive use of morphological comparisons to infer relatedness only goes so far, and molecular sequence data, most recently from genomes and transcriptomes, has been the primary means to infer these relationships. For prokaryotes this presented new challenges, since the degree of horizontal gene transfer led some to question the tree-like depiction of evolution altogether. Most eukaryotes are also microbial, but in contrast to prokaryotic life, the application of large-scale molecular data to the tree of eukaryotes has largely been a constructive process, leading to a small number of very diverse lineages, or 'supergroups'. The tree is not completely resolved, and contentious problems remain, but many well-established supergroups now encompass much more diversity than the traditional kingdoms. Some of the most exciting recent developments come from the discovery of branches in the tree that we previously had no inkling even existed, many of which are of great ecological or evolutionary interest. These new branches highlight the need for more exploration, by high-throughput molecular surveys, but also more traditional means of observations and cultivation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Fabien Burki
- Department of Organismal Biology, Program in Systematic Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
DeSalle R, Riley M. Should Networks Supplant Tree Building? Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1179. [PMID: 32756444 PMCID: PMC7466111 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8081179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies suggested that network methods should supplant tree building as the basis of genealogical analysis. This proposition is based upon two arguments. First is the observation that bacterial and archaeal lineages experience processes oppositional to bifurcation and hence the representation of the evolutionary process in a tree like structure is illogical. Second is the argument tree building approaches are circular-you ask for a tree and you get one, which pins a verificationist label on tree building that, if correct, should be the end of phylogenetic analysis as we currently know it. In this review, we examine these questions and suggest that rumors of the death of the bacterial tree of life are exaggerated at best.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rob DeSalle
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA;
| | - Margaret Riley
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 116 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
How to Study Classification. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
29
|
Classification. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
30
|
Systematics Association Special Volumes. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
31
|
Relationship Diagrams. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
32
|
The Separation of Classification and Phylogenetics. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
33
|
Beyond Classification. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
34
|
The Interrelationships of Organisms. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
35
|
How to Study Classification. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
36
|
Modern Artificial Methods and Raw Data. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
37
|
Further Myths and More Misunderstandings. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
|
38
|
Afterword. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
|
39
|
Systematics: Exposing Myths. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
40
|
Essentialism and Typology. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
41
|
Beyond Classification: How to Study Phylogeny. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
42
|
How to Study Classification: ‘Total Evidence’ vs. ‘Consensus’, Character Congruence vs. Taxonomic Congruence, Simultaneous Analysis vs. Partitioned Data. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
|
43
|
What This Book Is About. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
|
44
|
How to Study Classification. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
45
|
The Cladistic Programme. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
|
46
|
Index. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
47
|
Parameters of Classification: Ordo Ab Chao. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
48
|
Monothetic and Polythetic Taxa. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
|
49
|
How to Study Classification: Consensus Techniques and General Classifications. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
|
50
|
Non-taxa or the Absence of –Phyly: Paraphyly and Aphyly. Cladistics 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/9781139047678.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
|