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Li R, Zhuang W, Feng X, Zhu X, Hu X. Morphology and molecular phylogeny of three Parasonderia species including a new species (Ciliophora, Plagiopylea). Eur J Protistol 2024; 94:126087. [PMID: 38761673 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2024.126087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Ciliates of the class Plagiopylea play a vital role in various anaerobic environments as consumers of prokaryotes. Yet, the diversity and phylogeny of this group of ciliates, especially marine representatives, remain poorly known. In this study, three Parasonderia species, viz., Parasonderia elongata spec. nov., and the already known P. cyclostoma and P. vestita, discovered in anaerobic sediments from various intertidal zones in China, were investigated based on their living morphology, infraciliature, and small subunit ribosomal rRNA gene sequences. Parasonderia elongata can be recognized by its larger body size, elongated body shape, oval oral opening, number of oral kineties, and significantly shortened leftmost postbuccal polykineties on the cell surface. Improved diagnosis and redescription of P. cyclostoma is provided for the first time, including data on infraciliature and molecular sequence. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the three species cluster together and with the sequence of a Chinese population of P. vestita already present in the GenBank database, forming a robust clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Li
- College of Fisheries, & Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Wenbao Zhuang
- College of Fisheries, & Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Xiaochen Feng
- College of Fisheries, & Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Zhu
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Xiaozhong Hu
- College of Fisheries, & Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
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2
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Keeling PJ. Horizontal gene transfer in eukaryotes: aligning theory with data. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:416-430. [PMID: 38263430 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00688-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT), or lateral gene transfer, is the non-sexual movement of genetic information between genomes. It has played a pronounced part in bacterial and archaeal evolution, but its role in eukaryotes is less clear. Behaviours unique to eukaryotic cells - phagocytosis and endosymbiosis - have been proposed to increase the frequency of HGT, but nuclear genomes encode fewer HGTs than bacteria and archaea. Here, I review the existing theory in the context of the growing body of data on HGT in eukaryotes, which suggests that any increased chance of acquiring new genes through phagocytosis and endosymbiosis is offset by a reduced need for these genes in eukaryotes, because selection in most eukaryotes operates on variation not readily generated by HGT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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3
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Méndez-Sánchez D, Schrecengost A, Rotterová J, Koštířová K, Beinart RA, Čepička I. Methanogenic symbionts of anaerobic ciliates are host and habitat specific. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae164. [PMID: 39163261 PMCID: PMC11378729 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae164] [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: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
The association between anaerobic ciliates and methanogenic archaea has been recognized for over a century. Nevertheless, knowledge of these associations is limited to a few ciliate species, and so the identification of patterns of host-symbiont specificity has been largely speculative. In this study, we integrated microscopy and genetic identification to survey the methanogenic symbionts of 32 free-living anaerobic ciliate species, mainly from the order Metopida. Based on Sanger and Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, our results show that a single methanogenic symbiont population, belonging to Methanobacterium, Methanoregula, or Methanocorpusculum, is dominant in each host strain. Moreover, the host's taxonomy (genus and above) and environment (i.e. endobiotic, marine/brackish, or freshwater) are linked with the methanogen identity at the genus level, demonstrating a strong specificity and fidelity in the association. We also established cultures containing artificially co-occurring anaerobic ciliate species harboring different methanogenic symbionts. This revealed that the host-methanogen relationship is stable over short timescales in cultures without evidence of methanogenic symbiont exchanges, although our intraspecific survey indicated that metopids also tend to replace their methanogens over longer evolutionary timescales. Therefore, anaerobic ciliates have adapted a mixed transmission mode to maintain and replace their methanogenic symbionts, allowing them to thrive in oxygen-depleted environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Méndez-Sánchez
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Schrecengost
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States
| | - Johana Rotterová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez, Mayagüez, PR 00680, United States
| | - Kateřina Koštířová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Roxanne A Beinart
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States
| | - Ivan Čepička
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic
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4
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Rahi ML, Mather PB, de Bello Cioffi M, Ezaz T, Hurwood DA. Genomic Basis of Freshwater Adaptation in the Palaemonid Prawn Genus Macrobrachium: Convergent Evolution Following Multiple Independent Colonization Events. J Mol Evol 2023; 91:976-989. [PMID: 38010517 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-023-10149-6] [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: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Adaptation to different salinity environments can enhance morphological and genomic divergence between related aquatic taxa. Species of prawns in the genus Macrobrachium naturally inhabit different osmotic niches and possess distinctive lifecycle traits associated with salinity tolerance. This study was conducted to investigate the patterns of adaptive genomic divergence during freshwater colonization in 34 Macrobrachium species collected from four continents; Australia, Asia, North and South America. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technique identified 5018 loci containing 82,636 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were used to reconstruct a phylogenomic tree. An additional phylogeny was reconstructed based on 43 candidate genes, previously identified as being potentially associated with freshwater adaptation. Comparison of the two phylogenetic trees revealed contrasting topologies. The GBS tree indicated multiple independent continent-specific invasions into freshwater by Macrobrachium lineages following common marine ancestry, as species with abbreviated larval development (ALD), i.e., species having a full freshwater life history, appeared reciprocally monophyletic within each continent. In contrast, the candidate gene tree showed convergent evolution for all ALD species worldwide, forming a single, well-supported clade. This latter pattern is likely the result of common evolutionary pressures selecting key mutations favored in continental freshwater habitats Results suggest that following multiple independent invasions into continental freshwaters at different evolutionary timescales, Macrobrachium taxa experienced adaptive genomic divergence, and in particular, convergence in the same genomic regions with parallel shifts in specific conserved phenotypic traits, such as evolution of larger eggs with abbreviated larval developmental.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Lifat Rahi
- Fisheries and Marine Resource Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh.
| | - Peter B Mather
- Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia
| | - Marcelo de Bello Cioffi
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of Sao Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Tariq Ezaz
- Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE), University of Canberra (UC), Canberra, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - David A Hurwood
- Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia
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5
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Khairunisa BH, Heryakusuma C, Ike K, Mukhopadhyay B, Susanti D. Evolving understanding of rumen methanogen ecophysiology. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1296008. [PMID: 38029083 PMCID: PMC10658910 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1296008] [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: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Production of methane by methanogenic archaea, or methanogens, in the rumen of ruminants is a thermodynamic necessity for microbial conversion of feed to volatile fatty acids, which are essential nutrients for the animals. On the other hand, methane is a greenhouse gas and its production causes energy loss for the animal. Accordingly, there are ongoing efforts toward developing effective strategies for mitigating methane emissions from ruminant livestock that require a detailed understanding of the diversity and ecophysiology of rumen methanogens. Rumen methanogens evolved from free-living autotrophic ancestors through genome streamlining involving gene loss and acquisition. The process yielded an oligotrophic lifestyle, and metabolically efficient and ecologically adapted descendants. This specialization poses serious challenges to the efforts of obtaining axenic cultures of rumen methanogens, and consequently, the information on their physiological properties remains in most part inferred from those of their non-rumen representatives. This review presents the current knowledge of rumen methanogens and their metabolic contributions to enteric methane production. It also identifies the respective critical gaps that need to be filled for aiding the efforts to mitigate methane emission from livestock operations and at the same time increasing the productivity in this critical agriculture sector.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christian Heryakusuma
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Kelechi Ike
- Department of Biology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, United States
| | - Biswarup Mukhopadhyay
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Dwi Susanti
- Microbial Discovery Research, BiomEdit, Greenfield, IN, United States
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Bu XL, Zhao WS, Li ZY, Ma HW, Chen YS, Li WX, Zou H, Li M, Wang GT. The energy metabolism of Balantidium polyvacuolum inhabiting the hindgut of Xenocypris davidi. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:624. [PMID: 37858069 PMCID: PMC10588222 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09706-6] [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: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Anaerobic parasitic ciliates are a specialized group of ciliates that are adapted to anoxic and oxygen-depleted habitats. Among them, Balantidium polyvacuolum, which inhabits the hindgut of Xenocyprinae fishes, has received very limited scientific attention, so the molecular mechanism of its adaptation to the digestive tract microenvironment is still unclear. In this study, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and single-cell transcriptome analysis were used to uncover the metabolism of B. polyvacuolum. Starch granules, endosymbiotic bacteria, and multiple specialized mitochondrion-related organelles (MROs) of various shapes were observed. The MROs may have completely lost the electron transport chain (ETC) complexes I, III, IV, and V and only retained succinate dehydrogenase subunit A (SDHA) of complex II. The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle was also incomplete. It can be inferred that the hypoxic intestinal environment has led to the specialization of the mitochondria in B. polyvacuolum. Moreover, carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), including carbohydrate esterases, enzymes with a carbohydrate-binding module, glycoside hydrolases, and glycosyltransferases, were identified, which may constitute evidence that B. polyvacuolum is able to digest carbohydrates and starch. These findings can improve our knowledge of the energy metabolism and adaptive mechanisms of B. polyvacuolum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia-Lian Bu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wei-Shan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Zhong-Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hong-Wei Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Yu-Shun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Wen-Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Hong Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Ming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China.
| | - Gui-Tang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
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7
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Gonçalves C, Harrison MC, Steenwyk JL, Opulente DA, LaBella AL, Wolters JF, Zhou X, Shen XX, Groenewald M, Hittinger CT, Rokas A. Diverse signatures of convergent evolution in cacti-associated yeasts. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.14.557833. [PMID: 37745407 PMCID: PMC10515907 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.14.557833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Many distantly related organisms have convergently evolved traits and lifestyles that enable them to live in similar ecological environments. However, the extent of phenotypic convergence evolving through the same or distinct genetic trajectories remains an open question. Here, we leverage a comprehensive dataset of genomic and phenotypic data from 1,049 yeast species in the subphylum Saccharomycotina (Kingdom Fungi, Phylum Ascomycota) to explore signatures of convergent evolution in cactophilic yeasts, ecological specialists associated with cacti. We inferred that the ecological association of yeasts with cacti arose independently ~17 times. Using machine-learning, we further found that cactophily can be predicted with 76% accuracy from functional genomic and phenotypic data. The most informative feature for predicting cactophily was thermotolerance, which is likely associated with duplication and altered evolutionary rates of genes impacting the cell envelope in several cactophilic lineages. We also identified horizontal gene transfer and duplication events of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes in distantly related cactophilic clades, suggesting that putatively adaptive traits evolved through disparate molecular mechanisms. Remarkably, multiple cactophilic lineages and their close relatives are emerging human opportunistic pathogens, suggesting that the cactophilic lifestyle-and perhaps more generally lifestyles favoring thermotolerance-may preadapt yeasts to cause human disease. This work underscores the potential of a multifaceted approach involving high throughput genomic and phenotypic data to shed light onto ecological adaptation and highlights how convergent evolution to wild environments could facilitate the transition to human pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Gonçalves
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Present address: Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy and UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
- Present address: UCIBIO-i4HB, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Marie-Claire Harrison
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Jacob L. Steenwyk
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Howards Hughes Medical Institute and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Dana A. Opulente
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institu te, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Biology Department, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | - Abigail L. LaBella
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte NC 28223
| | - John F. Wolters
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institu te, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Xiaofan Zhou
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xing-Xing Shen
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology and Centre for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | | | - Chris Todd Hittinger
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institu te, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
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8
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Poláková K, Bourland WA, Čepička I. Anaerocyclidiidae fam. nov. (Oligohymenophorea, Scuticociliatia): A newly recognized major lineage of anaerobic ciliates hosting prokaryotic symbionts. Eur J Protistol 2023; 90:126009. [PMID: 37562169 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2023.126009] [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: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
The research on anaerobic ciliates, to date, has mainly been focused on representatives of obligately anaerobic classes such as Armophorea or Plagiopylea. In this study, we focus on the anaerobic representatives of the subclass Scuticociliatia, members of the class Oligohymenophorea, which is mainly composed of aerobic ciliates. Until now, only a single anaerobic species, Cyclidium porcatum (here transferred to the genus Anaerocyclidium gen. nov.), has been described both molecularly and morphologically. Our broad sampling of anoxic sediments together with cultivation and single cell sequencing approaches have shown that scuticociliates are common and diversified in anoxic environments. Our results show that anaerobic scuticociliates represent a distinctive evolutionary lineage not closely related to the family Cyclidiidae (order Pleuronematida), as previously suggested. However, the phylogenetic position of the newly recognized lineage within the subclass Scuticociliatia remains unresolved. Based on molecular and morphological data, we establish the family Anaerocyclidiidae fam. nov. to accommodate members of this clade. We further provide detailed morphological descriptions and 18S rRNA gene sequences for six new Anaerocyclidium species and significantly broaden the described diversity of anaerobic scuticociliates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateřina Poláková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - William A Bourland
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Čepička
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
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9
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Li R, Zhuang W, Feng X, Hines HN, Hu X. First redescription and molecular phylogeny of Trimyema claviforme Kahl, 1933 with the description of a Chinese population of Plagiopyla nasuta Stein, 1860 (Ciliophora, Plagiopylea). Eur J Protistol 2023; 90:126003. [PMID: 37453202 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2023.126003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Ciliates belonging to the class Plagiopylea are obligate anaerobes that are often neglected due to their cryptic lifestyles, difficulty of observation, and overall under-sampling. Here, we investigate two species, namely Trimyema claviforme Kahl, 1933 and Plagiopyla nasuta Stein, 1860, collected in China from marine and freshwater anaerobic sediments, respectively. A complete morphological dataset, together with SSU rRNA gene sequence data were obtained and used to diagnose the species. No molecular sequencing had ever been performed on Trimyema claviforme, with its ciliature also previously unknown. Based on these novel data presented here, the ciliate is characterized by a claviform cell shape, with a size of 35-45 × 10-20 μm in vivo, 28-39 longitudinal somatic ciliary rows forming five ciliary girdles (four complete girdles and a shorter one), two dikinetids left to anterior end of oral kinety 1, and an epaulet. A Chinese population of the well-known ciliate P. nasuta was investigated, and morphological comparisons revealed phenotypic stability of the species. The phylogenetic analyses supported previous findings about the monophyly of the families Trimyemidae and Plagiopylidae, with Trimyema claviforme branching off early in the genus Trimyema. The Chinese population of P. nasuta clusters together with two other populations with full support corroborating their conspecificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Li
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Wenbao Zhuang
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Xiaochen Feng
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Hunter N Hines
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, Florida 34946, USA
| | - Xiaozhong Hu
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
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10
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Li J, Li S, Su H, Yu M, Xu J, Yi Z. Comprehensive phylogenomic analyses reveal that order Armophorida is most closely related to class Armophorea (Protista, Ciliophora). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 182:107737. [PMID: 36841269 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Ciliate species within the class Armophorea are widely distributed in various anaerobic environments, hence they are of great interest to researchers studying evolution and adaptation of eukaryotes to extreme habitats. However, phylogenetic relationships within the class remain largely elusive, most especially assignment of the order Armophorida and classification within the family Metopidae. In this study, we newly sequenced transcriptomes and the SSU rDNA of five armophorean species, Sulfonecta cf. uniserialis (order Armophorida), Nyctotheroides sp. (order Clevelandellida), and Metopus major, M. paraes, and Brachonella contorta (order Metopida). Comprehensive phylogenomic analyses revealed that Armophorea was most closely related to Muranotrichea and Parablepharismea. Our results indicate that the order Armophorida either belongs to Armophorea or represents a new class within APM (Armophorea-Parablepharismea-Muranotrichea). Analyses combining ecological niches and molecular trees showed that APM species might descend from an anaerobic free-living ciliate species. Existing molecular phylogenomic/phylogenetic and morphological evidence indicate that the family Metopidae is non-monophyletic and should be further classified with inclusion of additional lines of evidences. Our results provide new insights into the long-debated relationships within Armophorea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Li
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Song Li
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Hua Su
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Minjie Yu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Jiahui Xu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Zhenzhen Yi
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.
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11
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Speijer D. How mitochondria showcase evolutionary mechanisms and the importance of oxygen. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2300013. [PMID: 36965057 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
Darwinian evolution can be simply stated: natural selection of inherited variations increasing differential reproduction. However, formulated thus, links with biochemistry, cell biology, ecology, and population dynamics remain unclear. To understand interactive contributions of chance and selection, higher levels of biological organization (e.g., endosymbiosis), complexities of competing selection forces, and emerging biological novelties (such as eukaryotes or meiotic sex), we must analyze actual examples. Focusing on mitochondria, I will illuminate how biology makes sense of life's evolution, and the concepts involved. First, looking at the bacterium - mitochondrion transition: merging with an archaeon, it lost its independence, but played a decisive role in eukaryogenesis, as an extremely efficient aerobic ATP generator and internal ROS source. Second, surveying later mitochondrion adaptations and diversifications illustrates concepts such as constructive neutral evolution, dynamic interactions between endosymbionts and hosts, the contingency of life histories, and metabolic reprogramming. Without oxygen, mitochondria disappear; with (intermittent) oxygen diversification occurs in highly complex ways, especially upon (temporary) phototrophic substrate supply. These expositions show the Darwinian model to be a highly fruitful paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave Speijer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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12
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Bu XL, Zhao WS, Li WX, Zou H, Wu SG, Li M, Wang GT. Mitochondrial metabolism of the facultative parasite Chilodonella uncinata (Alveolata, Ciliophora). Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:92. [PMID: 36882771 PMCID: PMC9993649 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05695-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chilodonella uncinata is an aerobic ciliate capable of switching between being free-living and parasitic on fish fins and gills, causing tissue damage and host mortality. It is widely used as a model organism for genetic studies, but its mitochondrial metabolism has never been studied. Therefore, we aimed to describe the morphological features and metabolic characteristics of its mitochondria. METHODS Fluorescence staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to observe the morphology of mitochondria. Single-cell transcriptome data of C. uncinata were annotated by the Clusters of Orthologous Genes (COG) database. Meanwhile, the metabolic pathways were constructed based on the transcriptomes. The phylogenetic analysis was also made based on the sequenced cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) gene. RESULTS Mitochondria were stained red using Mito-tracker Red staining and were stained slightly blue by DAPI dye. The cristae and double membrane structures of the mitochondria were observed by TEM. Besides, many lipid droplets were evenly distributed around the macronucleus. A total of 2594 unigenes were assigned to 23 functional classifications of COG. Mitochondrial metabolic pathways were depicted. The mitochondria contained enzymes for the complete tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, fatty acid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and cytochrome-based electron transport chain (ETC), but only partial enzymes involved in the iron-sulfur clusters (ISCs). CONCLUSIONS Our results showed that C. uncinata possess typical mitochondria. Stored lipid droplets inside mitochondria may be the energy storage of C. uncinata that helps its transmission from a free-living to a parasitic lifestyle. These findings also have improved our knowledge of the mitochondrial metabolism of C. uncinata and increased the volume of molecular data for future studies of this facultative parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia-lian Bu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, and Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei The People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 The People’s Republic of China
- Protist 10,000 Genomics Project (P10K) Consortium, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei The People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei-shan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, and Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei The People’s Republic of China
- Protist 10,000 Genomics Project (P10K) Consortium, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei The People’s Republic of China
| | - Wen-xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, and Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei The People’s Republic of China
| | - Hong Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, and Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei The People’s Republic of China
| | - Shan-gong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, and Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei The People’s Republic of China
| | - Ming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, and Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei The People’s Republic of China
- Protist 10,000 Genomics Project (P10K) Consortium, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei The People’s Republic of China
| | - Gui-tang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, and Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei The People’s Republic of China
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13
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He C, Berkowitz O, Hu S, Zhao Y, Qian K, Shou H, Whelan J, Wang Y. Co-regulation of mitochondrial and chloroplast function: Molecular components and mechanisms. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 4:100496. [PMID: 36435968 PMCID: PMC9860188 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2022.100496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The metabolic interdependence, interactions, and coordination of functions between chloroplasts and mitochondria are established and intensively studied. However, less is known about the regulatory components that control these interactions and their responses to external stimuli. Here, we outline how chloroplastic and mitochondrial activities are coordinated via common components involved in signal transduction pathways, gene regulatory events, and post-transcriptional processes. The endoplasmic reticulum emerges as a point of convergence for both transcriptional and post-transcriptional pathways that coordinate chloroplast and mitochondrial functions. Although the identification of molecular components and mechanisms of chloroplast and mitochondrial signaling increasingly suggests common players, this raises the question of how these allow for distinct organelle-specific downstream pathways. Outstanding questions with respect to the regulation of post-transcriptional pathways and the cell and/or tissue specificity of organelle signaling are crucial for understanding how these pathways are integrated at a whole-plant level to optimize plant growth and its response to changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cunman He
- College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, P.R. China; Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Science, School of Agriculture, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Oliver Berkowitz
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Science, School of Agriculture, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Shanshan Hu
- College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, P.R. China; International Science and Technology Cooperation Base on Engineering Biology, International Campus of Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang 314400, P.R. China
| | - Yang Zhao
- College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, P.R. China; Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Science, School of Agriculture, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Kun Qian
- College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, P.R. China; Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Science, School of Agriculture, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Huixia Shou
- College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, P.R. China; International Science and Technology Cooperation Base on Engineering Biology, International Campus of Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang 314400, P.R. China
| | - James Whelan
- College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, P.R. China; Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Science, School of Agriculture, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia; International Science and Technology Cooperation Base on Engineering Biology, International Campus of Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang 314400, P.R. China
| | - Yan Wang
- College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, P.R. China; Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Science, School of Agriculture, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia.
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14
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Reduced mitochondria provide an essential function for the cytosolic methionine cycle. Curr Biol 2022; 32:5057-5068.e5. [PMID: 36347252 PMCID: PMC9746703 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The loss of mitochondria in oxymonad protists has been associated with the redirection of the essential Fe-S cluster assembly to the cytosol. Yet as our knowledge of diverse free-living protists broadens, the list of functions of their mitochondrial-related organelles (MROs) expands. We revealed another such function in the closest oxymonad relative, Paratrimastix pyriformis, after we solved the proteome of its MRO with high accuracy, using localization of organelle proteins by isotope tagging (LOPIT). The newly assigned enzymes connect to the glycine cleavage system (GCS) and produce folate derivatives with one-carbon units and formate. These are likely to be used by the cytosolic methionine cycle involved in S-adenosyl methionine recycling. The data provide consistency with the presence of the GCS in MROs of free-living species and its absence in most endobionts, which typically lose the methionine cycle and, in the case of oxymonads, the mitochondria.
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15
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Weiss J, Andreou D, Esteban GF. The Extraordinarily Rare Ciliate Legendrea loyezae Fauré-Fremiet, 1908 (Haptoria, Ciliophora). Protist 2022; 173:125912. [PMID: 36242851 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2022.125912] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Diverse and dynamic communities of ciliates and other microbes thrive in the natural environment, driving the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. Many microbes are present in very low numbers or are dormant in the 'seedbank', escaping detection in environmental surveys and, consequently, remaining underexplored. Here, we report an extraordinarily rare ciliate that was discovered after persistent exploration of freshwater anoxic sediments - Legendrea loyezae Fauré-Fremiet, 1908, a member of the Family Spathidiidae, Order Haptorida. In this study, we present the sixth account of the ciliate since 1908 and reveal its phylogenetic position with the first 18S rRNA data for the genus. We explain the key morphological features of the species, describing a remarkable behaviour in which the ciliate "shapeshifts'' due to its ability of controlled full extension and retraction of its tube-like tentacles. Our results shed light on the similarity of L. loyezae to another ciliate that was first described as Legendrea bellerophon, later moved under a new genus and named Thysanomorpha bellerophon. We question the validity of this taxonomic decision and, based on morphological characters and tentacle movement, we propose moving T. bellerophon back under Legendrea. This study demonstrates how continued and persistent exploration of natural habitats lead to the discovery of microbial communities and species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Demetra Andreou
- Bournemouth University, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Poole, Dorset BH12 5BB, UK
| | - Genoveva F Esteban
- Bournemouth University, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Poole, Dorset BH12 5BB, UK.
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16
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Chen Z, Li J, Salas-Leiva DE, Chen M, Chen S, Li S, Wu Y, Yi Z. Group-specific functional patterns of mitochondrion-related organelles shed light on their multiple transitions from mitochondria in ciliated protists. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 4:609-623. [PMID: 37078085 PMCID: PMC10077286 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-022-00147-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Adaptations of ciliates to hypoxic environments have arisen independently several times. Studies on mitochondrion-related organelle (MRO) metabolisms from distinct anaerobic ciliate groups provide evidence for understanding the transitions from mitochondria to MROs within eukaryotes. To deepen our knowledge about the evolutionary patterns of ciliate anaerobiosis, mass-culture and single-cell transcriptomes of two anaerobic species, Metopus laminarius (class Armophorea) and Plagiopyla cf. narasimhamurtii (class Plagiopylea), were sequenced and their MRO metabolic maps were compared. In addition, we carried out comparisons using publicly available predicted MRO proteomes from other ciliate classes (i.e., Armophorea, Litostomatea, Muranotrichea, Oligohymenophorea, Parablepharismea and Plagiopylea). We found that single-cell transcriptomes were similarly comparable to their mass-culture counterparts in predicting MRO metabolic pathways of ciliates. The patterns of the components of the MRO metabolic pathways might be divergent among anaerobic ciliates, even among closely related species. Notably, our findings indicate the existence of group-specific functional relics of electron transport chains (ETCs). Detailed group-specific ETC functional patterns are as follows: full oxidative phosphorylation in Oligohymenophorea and Muranotrichea; only electron-transfer machinery in Armophorea; either of these functional types in Parablepharismea; and ETC functional absence in Litostomatea and Plagiopylea. These findings suggest that adaptation of ciliates to anaerobic conditions is group-specific and has occurred multiple times. Our results also show the potential and the limitations of detecting ciliate MRO proteins using single-cell transcriptomes and improve the understanding of the multiple transitions from mitochondria to MROs within ciliates. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-022-00147-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhicheng Chen
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Healthy and Safe Aquaculture, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 China
| | - Jia Li
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Healthy and Safe Aquaculture, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 China
| | | | - Miaoying Chen
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Healthy and Safe Aquaculture, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 China
| | - Shilong Chen
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Healthy and Safe Aquaculture, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 China
| | - Senru Li
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Healthy and Safe Aquaculture, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 China
| | - Yanyan Wu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Healthy and Safe Aquaculture, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 China
| | - Zhenzhen Yi
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Healthy and Safe Aquaculture, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 China
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17
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Fenchel T. Bland James Finlay (March 16, 1952-December 24, 2021). Protist 2022; 173:125906. [PMID: 36041339 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2022.125906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Fenchel
- Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, DK-3000 Helsingør, Denmark.
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18
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Eukaryotes were shaped by Oxygen. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1242. [PMID: 35773346 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01819-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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19
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Vargová R, Hanousková P, Salamonová J, Žihala D, Silberman JD, Eliáš M, Čepička I. Evidence for an Independent Hydrogenosome-to-Mitosome Transition in the CL3 Lineage of Fornicates. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:866459. [PMID: 35663895 PMCID: PMC9161772 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.866459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fornicata, a lineage of a broader and ancient anaerobic eukaryotic clade Metamonada, contains diverse taxa that are ideally suited for evolutionary studies addressing various fundamental biological questions, such as the evolutionary trajectory of mitochondrion-related organelles (MROs), the transition between free-living and endobiotic lifestyles, and the derivation of alternative genetic codes. To this end, we conducted detailed microscopic and transcriptome analyses in a poorly documented strain of an anaerobic free-living marine flagellate, PCS, in the so-called CL3 fornicate lineage. Fortuitously, we discovered that the original culture contained two morphologically similar and closely related CL3 representatives, which doubles the taxon representation within this lineage. We obtained a monoeukaryotic culture of one of them and formally describe it as a new member of the family Caviomonadidae, Euthynema mutabile gen. et sp. nov. In contrast to previously studied caviomonads, the endobiotic Caviomonas mobilis and Iotanema spirale, E. mutabile possesses an ultrastructurally discernible MRO. We sequenced and assembled the transcriptome of E. mutabile, and by sequence subtraction, obtained transcriptome data from the other CL3 clade representative present in the original PCS culture, denoted PCS-ghost. Transcriptome analyses showed that the reassignment of only one of the UAR stop codons to encode Gln previously reported from I. spirale does not extend to its free-living relatives and is likely due to a unique amino acid substitution in I. spirale’s eRF1 protein domain responsible for termination codon recognition. The backbone fornicate phylogeny was robustly resolved in a phylogenomic analysis, with the CL3 clade amongst the earliest branching lineages. Metabolic and MRO functional reconstructions of CL3 clade members revealed that all three, including I. spirale, encode homologs of key components of the mitochondrial protein import apparatus and the ISC pathway, indicating the presence of a MRO in all of them. In silico evidence indicates that the organelles of E. mutabile and PCS-ghost host ATP and H2 production, unlike the cryptic MRO of I. spirale. These data suggest that the CL3 clade has experienced a hydrogenosome-to-mitosome transition independent from that previously documented for the lineage leading to Giardia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romana Vargová
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Pavla Hanousková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jana Salamonová
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - David Žihala
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Jeffrey D. Silberman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Marek Eliáš
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Marek Eliáš,
| | - Ivan Čepička
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
- Ivan Čepička,
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20
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Ma J, Zhong P, Li Y, Sun Z, Sun X, Aung M, Hao L, Cheng Y, Zhu W. Hydrogenosome, Pairing Anaerobic Fungi and H 2-Utilizing Microorganisms Based on Metabolic Ties to Facilitate Biomass Utilization. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:338. [PMID: 35448569 PMCID: PMC9026988 DOI: 10.3390/jof8040338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Anaerobic fungi, though low in abundance in rumen, play an important role in the degradation of forage for herbivores. When only anaerobic fungi exist in the fermentation system, the continuous accumulation of metabolites (e.g., hydrogen (H2) and formate) generated from their special metabolic organelles-the hydrogenosome-inhibits the enzymatic reactions in the hydrogenosome and reduces the activity of the anaerobic fungi. However, due to interspecific H2 transfer, H2 produced by the hydrogenosome can be used by other microorganisms to form valued bioproducts. This symbiotic interaction between anaerobic fungi and other microorganisms can be used to improve the nutritional value of animal feeds and produce value-added products that are normally in low concentrations in the fermentation system. Because of the important role in the generation and further utilization of H2, the study of the hydrogensome is increasingly becoming an important part of the development of anaerobic fungi as model organisms that can effectively improve the utilization value of roughage. Here, we summarize and discuss the classification and the process of biomass degradation of anaerobic fungi and the metabolism and function of anaerobic fungal hydrogensome, with a focus on the potential role of the hydrogensome in the efficient utilization of biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Ma
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (J.M.); (P.Z.); (Y.L.); (Z.S.); (X.S.); (M.A.); (W.Z.)
| | - Pei Zhong
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (J.M.); (P.Z.); (Y.L.); (Z.S.); (X.S.); (M.A.); (W.Z.)
| | - Yuqi Li
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (J.M.); (P.Z.); (Y.L.); (Z.S.); (X.S.); (M.A.); (W.Z.)
| | - Zhanying Sun
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (J.M.); (P.Z.); (Y.L.); (Z.S.); (X.S.); (M.A.); (W.Z.)
| | - Xiaoni Sun
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (J.M.); (P.Z.); (Y.L.); (Z.S.); (X.S.); (M.A.); (W.Z.)
| | - Min Aung
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (J.M.); (P.Z.); (Y.L.); (Z.S.); (X.S.); (M.A.); (W.Z.)
- Department of Animal Nutrition, University of Veterinary Science, Nay Pyi Taw 15013, Myanmar
| | - Lizhuang Hao
- Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai Plateau Yak Research Center, Qinghai Academy of Science and Veterinary Medicine of Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China;
| | - Yanfen Cheng
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (J.M.); (P.Z.); (Y.L.); (Z.S.); (X.S.); (M.A.); (W.Z.)
| | - Weiyun Zhu
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (J.M.); (P.Z.); (Y.L.); (Z.S.); (X.S.); (M.A.); (W.Z.)
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21
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Rotterová J, Edgcomb VP, Čepička I, Beinart R. Anaerobic Ciliates as a Model Group for Studying Symbioses in Oxygen-depleted Environments. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2022; 69:e12912. [PMID: 35325496 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anaerobiosis has independently evolved in multiple lineages of ciliates, allowing them to colonize a variety of anoxic and oxygen-depleted habitats. Anaerobic ciliates commonly form symbiotic relationships with various prokaryotes, including methanogenic archaea and members of several bacterial groups. The hypothesized functions of these ecto- and endosymbionts include the symbiont utilizing the ciliate's fermentative end-products to increase host's anaerobic metabolic efficiency, or the symbiont directly providing the host with energy by denitrification or photosynthesis. The host, in turn, may protect the symbiont from competition, the environment, and predation. Despite rapid advances in sampling, molecular, and microscopy methods, as well as the associated broadening of the known diversity of anaerobic ciliates, many aspects of these ciliate symbioses, including host-specificity and co-evolution, remain largely unexplored. Nevertheless, with the number of comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses targeting anaerobic ciliates and their symbionts on the rise, insights into the nature of these symbioses and the evolution of the ciliate transition to obligate anaerobiosis continue to deepen. This review summarizes the current body of knowledge regarding the complex nature of symbioses in anaerobic ciliates, the diversity of these symbionts, their role in the evolution of ciliate anaerobiosis and their significance in ecosystem-level processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johana Rotterová
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Virginia P Edgcomb
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ivan Čepička
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Roxanne Beinart
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
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22
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Kelly WJ, Mackie RI, Attwood GT, Janssen PH, McAllister TA, Leahy SC. Hydrogen and formate production and utilisation in the rumen and the human colon. Anim Microbiome 2022; 4:22. [PMID: 35287765 PMCID: PMC8919644 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-022-00174-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular hydrogen (H2) and formate (HCOO-) are metabolic end products of many primary fermenters in the mammalian gut. Both play a vital role in fermentation where they are electron sinks for individual microbes in an anaerobic environment that lacks external electron acceptors. If H2 and/or formate accumulate within the gut ecosystem, the ability of primary fermenters to regenerate electron carriers may be inhibited and microbial metabolism and growth disrupted. Consequently, H2- and/or formate-consuming microbes such as methanogens and homoacetogens play a key role in maintaining the metabolic efficiency of primary fermenters. There is increasing interest in identifying approaches to manipulate mammalian gut environments for the benefit of the host and the environment. As H2 and formate are important mediators of interspecies interactions, an understanding of their production and utilisation could be a significant entry point for the development of successful interventions. Ruminant methane mitigation approaches are discussed as a model to help understand the fate of H2 and formate in gut systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Kelly
- New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC), Palmerston North, New Zealand
- AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | | | - Graeme T Attwood
- AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Peter H Janssen
- AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | | | - Sinead C Leahy
- New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC), Palmerston North, New Zealand.
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23
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Smutná T, Dohnálková A, Sutak R, Narayanasamy RK, Tachezy J, Hrdý I. A cytosolic ferredoxin-independent hydrogenase possibly mediates hydrogen uptake in Trichomonas vaginalis. Curr Biol 2021; 32:124-135.e5. [PMID: 34762819 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Trichomonads, represented by the highly prevalent sexually transmitted human parasite Trichomonas vaginalis, are anaerobic eukaryotes with hydrogenosomes in the place of the standard mitochondria. Hydrogenosomes form indispensable FeS-clusters, synthesize ATP, and release molecular hydrogen as a waste product. Hydrogen formation is catalyzed by [FeFe] hydrogenase, the hallmark enzyme of all hydrogenosomes found in various eukaryotic anaerobes. Eukaryotic hydrogenases were originally thought to be exclusively localized within organelles, but today few eukaryotic anaerobes are known that possess hydrogenase in their cytosol. We identified a thus-far unknown hydrogenase in T. vaginalis cytosol that cannot use ferredoxin as a redox partner but can use cytochrome b5 as an electron acceptor. Trichomonads overexpressing the cytosolic hydrogenase, while maintaining the carbon flux through hydrogenosomes, show decreased excretion of hydrogen and increased excretion of methylated alcohols, suggesting that the cytosolic hydrogenase uses the hydrogen gas as a source of reducing power for the reactions occurring in the cytoplasm and thus accounts for the overall redox balance. This is the first evidence of hydrogen uptake in a eukaryote, although further work is needed to confirm it. Assembly of the catalytic center of [FeFe] hydrogenases (H-cluster) requires the activity of three dedicated maturases, and these proteins in T. vaginalis are exclusively localized in hydrogenosomes, where they participate in the maturation of organellar hydrogenases. Despite the different subcellular localization of cytosolic hydrogenase and maturases, the H-cluster is present in the cytosolic enzyme, suggesting the existence of an alternative mechanism of H-cluster assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Smutná
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Dohnálková
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic
| | - Róbert Sutak
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic
| | - Ravi Kumar Narayanasamy
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Tachezy
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Hrdý
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic.
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24
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Zhuang W, Li S, Bai Y, Zhang T, Al-Rasheid KAS, Hu X. Morphology and molecular phylogeny of the anaerobic freshwater ciliate Urostomides spinosus nov. spec. (Ciliophora, Armophorea, Metopida) from China. Eur J Protistol 2021; 81:125823. [PMID: 34340055 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2021.125823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The morphology and molecular phylogeny of a new metopid ciliate, Urostomides spinosus nov. spec., discovered in a freshwater ditch in Qingdao, China, were investigated using live observation, morphometry and protargol staining as well as molecular phylogenetic methods. Diagnostic features of the new species include a broadly obpyriform body carrying three posterior spines, eight somatic kineties, five preoral dome kineties with specialized row 3, adoral zone composed of about 28 membranelles, making a 270° turn around body axis. Phylogenetic analyses of the SSU rDNA sequence revealed that the genus Urostomides is monophyletic, but its interspecific relationships remained unresolved. Moreover, a closer relationship of the new species with the morphologically similar Urostomides campanula was not supported by the molecular data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbao Zhuang
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Song Li
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yang Bai
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Tengteng Zhang
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Khaled A S Al-Rasheid
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Xiaozhong Hu
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
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25
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Mathur V, Wakeman KC, Keeling PJ. Parallel functional reduction in the mitochondria of apicomplexan parasites. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2920-2928.e4. [PMID: 33974849 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Gregarines are an early-diverging lineage of apicomplexan parasites that hold many clues into the origin and evolution of the group, a remarkable transition from free-living phototrophic algae into obligate parasites of animals.1 Using single-cell transcriptomics targeting understudied lineages to complement available sequencing data, we characterized the mitochondrial metabolic repertoire across the tree of apicomplexans. In contrast to the large suite of proteins involved in aerobic respiration in well-studied parasites like Toxoplasma or Plasmodium,2 we find that gregarine trophozoites have significantly reduced energy metabolism: most lack respiratory complexes III and IV, and some lack the electron transport chains (ETCs) and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle entirely. Phylogenomic analyses show that these reductions took place several times in parallel, resulting in a functional range from fully aerobic organelles to extremely reduced "mitosomes" restricted to Fe-S cluster biosynthesis. The mitochondrial genome has also been lost repeatedly: in species with severe functional reduction simply by gene loss but in one species with a complete ETC by relocating cox1 to the nuclear genome. Severe functional reduction of mitochondria is generally associated with structural reduction, resulting in small, nondescript mitochondrial-related organelles (MROs).3 By contrast, gregarines retain distinctive mitochondria with tubular cristae, even the most functionally reduced cases that also lack genes associated with cristae formation. Overall, the parallel, severe reduction of gregarine mitochondria expands the diversity of organisms that contain MROs and further emphasizes the role of parallel transitions in apicomplexan evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha Mathur
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Kevin C Wakeman
- Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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26
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Russell G, Nenov A, Hancock JT. Oxy-hydrogen Gas: The Rationale Behind Its Use as a Novel and Sustainable Treatment for
COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Diseases. EUROPEAN MEDICAL JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.33590/emj/21-00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxy-hydrogen gas (HHO) is a gaseous mixture of molecular hydrogen and molecular oxygen that is generated by the electrolysis of water and delivered in a 2:1 ratio (66% and 33%, respectively) through the use of noninvasive inhalation devices such as nasal cannulas or nebulisers. Although there is a paucity of scientific evidence supporting this new and emerging therapy, initial investigations indicate that HHO proffers cytoprotective qualities, typically by reducing oxidative stress and attenuating
the inflammatory response. These aspects are particularly favourable when considering respiratory medicine because underlying inflammation is known to drive the pathological progress of numerous respiratory conditions, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, and, pertinently, coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Direct delivery to the lung parenchyma is also likely to increase the effectiveness of this emerging medical therapy. This narrative review aims to delineate how this particular combination of gases can affect cellular processes at the molecular level by focussing on the evolutionary requirement for both oxygen and hydrogen. Furthermore, the authors assess the current available data for the safety and efficacy of HHO in a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Russell
- Department of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
| | | | - John T. Hancock
- Department of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
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27
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28
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Zhang T, Li C, Zhang X, Wang C, Roger AJ, Gao F. Characterization and Comparative Analyses of Mitochondrial Genomes in Single-Celled Eukaryotes to Shed Light on the Diversity and Evolution of Linear Molecular Architecture. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052546. [PMID: 33802618 PMCID: PMC7961746 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Determination and comparisons of complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are important to understand the origin and evolution of mitochondria. Mitogenomes of unicellular protists are particularly informative in this regard because they are gene-rich and display high structural diversity. Ciliates are a highly diverse assemblage of protists and their mitogenomes (linear structure with high A+T content in general) were amongst the first from protists to be characterized and have provided important insights into mitogenome evolution. Here, we report novel mitogenome sequences from three representatives (Strombidium sp., Strombidium cf. sulcatum, and Halteria grandinella) in two dominant ciliate lineages. Comparative and phylogenetic analyses of newly sequenced and previously published ciliate mitogenomes were performed and revealed a number of important insights. We found that the mitogenomes of these three species are linear molecules capped with telomeric repeats that differ greatly among known species. The genomes studied here are highly syntenic, but larger in size and more gene-rich than those of other groups. They also all share an AT-rich tandem repeat region which may serve as the replication origin and modulate initiation of bidirectional transcription. More generally we identified a split version of ccmf, a cytochrome c maturation-related gene that might be a derived character uniting taxa in the subclasses Hypotrichia and Euplotia. Finally, our mitogenome comparisons and phylogenetic analyses support to reclassify Halteria grandinella from the subclass Oligotrichia to the subclass Hypotrichia. These results add to the growing literature on the unique features of ciliate mitogenomes, shedding light on the diversity and evolution of their linear molecular architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengteng Zhang
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.Z.); (C.L.); (X.Z.); (C.W.)
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (OUC), Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266003, China
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada;
| | - Chao Li
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.Z.); (C.L.); (X.Z.); (C.W.)
| | - Xue Zhang
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.Z.); (C.L.); (X.Z.); (C.W.)
| | - Chundi Wang
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.Z.); (C.L.); (X.Z.); (C.W.)
| | - Andrew J. Roger
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada;
| | - Feng Gao
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.Z.); (C.L.); (X.Z.); (C.W.)
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (OUC), Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266033, China
- Correspondence:
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29
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Graf JS, Schorn S, Kitzinger K, Ahmerkamp S, Woehle C, Huettel B, Schubert CJ, Kuypers MMM, Milucka J. Anaerobic endosymbiont generates energy for ciliate host by denitrification. Nature 2021; 591:445-450. [PMID: 33658719 PMCID: PMC7969357 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03297-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria are specialized eukaryotic organelles that have a dedicated function in oxygen respiration and energy production. They evolved about 2 billion years ago from a free-living bacterial ancestor (probably an alphaproteobacterium), in a process known as endosymbiosis1,2. Many unicellular eukaryotes have since adapted to life in anoxic habitats and their mitochondria have undergone further reductive evolution3. As a result, obligate anaerobic eukaryotes with mitochondrial remnants derive their energy mostly from fermentation4. Here we describe 'Candidatus Azoamicus ciliaticola', which is an obligate endosymbiont of an anaerobic ciliate and has a dedicated role in respiration and providing energy for its eukaryotic host. 'Candidatus A. ciliaticola' contains a highly reduced 0.29-Mb genome that encodes core genes for central information processing, the electron transport chain, a truncated tricarboxylic acid cycle, ATP generation and iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis. The genome encodes a respiratory denitrification pathway instead of aerobic terminal oxidases, which enables its host to breathe nitrate instead of oxygen. 'Candidatus A. ciliaticola' and its ciliate host represent an example of a symbiosis that is based on the transfer of energy in the form of ATP, rather than nutrition. This discovery raises the possibility that eukaryotes with mitochondrial remnants may secondarily acquire energy-providing endosymbionts to complement or replace functions of their mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon S Graf
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Sina Schorn
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Katharina Kitzinger
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Christian Woehle
- Max Planck Genome Centre Cologne, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Bruno Huettel
- Max Planck Genome Centre Cologne, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Carsten J Schubert
- Surface Waters - Research and Management, Eawag, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | | | - Jana Milucka
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.
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30
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Wang C, Gao Y, Lu B, Chi Y, Zhang T, El-Serehy HA, Al-Farraj SA, Li L, Song W, Gao F. Large-scale phylogenomic analysis provides new insights into the phylogeny of the class Oligohymenophorea (Protista, Ciliophora) with establishment of a new subclass Urocentria nov. subcl. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021; 159:107112. [PMID: 33609708 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The class Oligohymenophorea is one of the most diverse assemblage of ciliated protists, which are particularly important in fundamental biological studies including understanding the evolutionary relationships among the lineages. Phylogenetic relationships within the class remain largely elusive, especially within the subclass Peniculia, which contains the long-standing problematic taxa Urocentrum and Paranassula. In the present study, we sequenced the genomes and/or transcriptomes of six non-culturable oligohymenophoreans using single-cell sequencing techniques. Phylogenomic analysis was performed based on expanded taxon sampling of 85 taxa, including 157 nuclear genes encoding 36,953 amino acids. The results indicate that: (1) urocentrids form an independent branch that is sister to the clade formed by Scuticociliatia and Hymenostomatia, which, together with the morphological data, supports the establishment of a new subclass, Urocentria n. subcl., within Oligohymenophorea; (2) phylogenomic analysis and ortholog comparison reveal a close relationship between Paranassula and peniculines, providing corroborative evidence for removing Paranassula from Nassulida and elevating it as an order, Paranassulida, within the subclass Peniculia; (3) based on the phylogenomic analyses and morphological data, we hypothesize that Peritrichia is the earliest diverging clade within Oligohymenophorea while Scuticociliatia and Hymenostomatia share the most common ancestor, followed successively by Urocentria and Peniculia. In addition, stop codon analyses indicate that oligohymenophoreans widely use UGA as the stop codon, while UAR are reassigned to glutamate (peritrichs) or glutamine (others), supporting the evolutionary hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chundi Wang
- Laboratory of Marine Protozoan Biodiversity & Evolution, Ocean College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China; Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yunyi Gao
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Borong Lu
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yong Chi
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Tengteng Zhang
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Hamed A El-Serehy
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh A Al-Farraj
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lifang Li
- Laboratory of Marine Protozoan Biodiversity & Evolution, Ocean College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Weibo Song
- Laboratory of Marine Protozoan Biodiversity & Evolution, Ocean College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China; Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Feng Gao
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China.
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31
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Gawryluk RMR, Stairs CW. Diversity of electron transport chains in anaerobic protists. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2020; 1862:148334. [PMID: 33159845 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2020.148334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic microbes (protists) that occupy low-oxygen environments often have drastically different mitochondrial metabolism compared to their aerobic relatives. A common theme among many anaerobic protists is the serial loss of components of the electron transport chain (ETC). Here, we discuss the diversity of the ETC across the tree of eukaryotes and review hypotheses for how ETCs are modified, and ultimately lost, in protists. We find that while protists have converged to some of the same metabolism as anaerobic animals, there are clear protist-specific strategies to thrive without oxygen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M R Gawryluk
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Courtney W Stairs
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62 Lund, Sweden; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden.
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32
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Rotterová J, Salomaki E, Pánek T, Bourland W, Žihala D, Táborský P, Edgcomb VP, Beinart RA, Kolísko M, Čepička I. Genomics of New Ciliate Lineages Provides Insight into the Evolution of Obligate Anaerobiosis. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2037-2050.e6. [PMID: 32330419 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Oxygen plays a crucial role in energetic metabolism of most eukaryotes. Yet adaptations to low-oxygen concentrations leading to anaerobiosis have independently arisen in many eukaryotic lineages, resulting in a broad spectrum of reduced and modified mitochondrion-related organelles (MROs). In this study, we present the discovery of two new class-level lineages of free-living marine anaerobic ciliates, Muranotrichea, cl. nov. and Parablepharismea, cl. nov., that, together with the class Armophorea, form a major clade of obligate anaerobes (APM ciliates) within the Spirotrichea, Armophorea, and Litostomatea (SAL) group. To deepen our understanding of the evolution of anaerobiosis in ciliates, we predicted the mitochondrial metabolism of cultured representatives from all three classes in the APM clade by using transcriptomic and metagenomic data and performed phylogenomic analyses to assess their evolutionary relationships. The predicted mitochondrial metabolism of representatives from the APM ciliates reveals functional adaptations of metabolic pathways that were present in their last common ancestor and likely led to the successful colonization and diversification of the group in various anoxic environments. Furthermore, we discuss the possible relationship of Parablepharismea to the uncultured deep-sea class Cariacotrichea on the basis of single-gene analyses. Like most anaerobic ciliates, all studied species of the APM clade host symbionts, which we propose to be a significant accelerating factor in the transitions to an obligately anaerobic lifestyle. Our results provide an insight into the evolutionary mechanisms of early transitions to anaerobiosis and shed light on fine-scale adaptations in MROs over a relatively short evolutionary time frame.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johana Rotterová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 128 43, Czech Republic.
| | - Eric Salomaki
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Pánek
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - William Bourland
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725-1515, USA
| | - David Žihala
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava 710 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Táborský
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Virginia P Edgcomb
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Roxanne A Beinart
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Martin Kolísko
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice 370 05, Czech Republic; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Čepička
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 128 43, Czech Republic
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