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Hu P, van Loosdrecht M, Gu JD, Yang Y. The core anammox redox reaction system of 12 anammox bacterial genera and their evolution and application implications. WATER RESEARCH 2025; 281:123551. [PMID: 40187147 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2025.123551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2025] [Revised: 03/04/2025] [Accepted: 03/24/2025] [Indexed: 04/07/2025]
Abstract
Anaerobic ammonium-oxidation (anammox) is a typical redox reaction driven by membrane electron transformation. However, the electron transfer mechanism of the core redox reaction and its evolutionary origins are still not thoroughly identified. In this study, a preliminary analysis was conducted for such interaction based on the 64 anammox bacterial genomes representing 12 genera available currently. The results suggested that enzymes involved in anammox reaction share the similar catalytic and electron transfer modes in different lineages, while the electron-carrying proteins shuttled between membrane and soluble enzymes are very different. A comparatively simple electronic shuttle protein system was encoded in the early-branching groundwater lineages Candidatus (Ca.) Avalokitesvara and Ca. Tripitaka, which was replaced by a sophisticated electron carrier scheme in the late-branching marine and terrestrial groups within family Ca. Brocadiaceae. Remarkably, the increasing availability of nitrite after Great Oxidation Event (GOE) potentially drove the adaptive evolution of the core redox systems by successively recruiting the nitrite reductase (NIR) for nitrite balance, a stable complex of two small cytochrome c proteins (NaxL and NaxS homologues) for electron transfer to HZS, as well as optimizing the structure of nitrite oxidoreductase gamma (NxrC) for electron conservation. In particular, a tubule-inducing nitrite oxidoreductase subunit (NxrT homologue) was further formed for electron transformation after the Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event (NOE). Finally, based on two full-scale anammox-based wastewater treatment systems (WWTPs), we identified core gene transcriptional activities affecting the abundance of the family Ca. Brocadiaceae and their association with environmental factors. Overall, our study not only provides key information for understanding the dynamic patterns and evolutionary mechanisms of the anammox reactions and the associated electron transfers in conjunction with major geological events, but also provides new insights for future enrichment and effective applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Hu
- Environmental Science and Engineering Research Group, Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 241 Daxue Road, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, PR China; Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 320003, Israel
| | - Mark van Loosdrecht
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Ji-Dong Gu
- Environmental Science and Engineering Research Group, Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 241 Daxue Road, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, PR China; Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 320003, Israel; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Materials and Technologies for Energy Conversion, Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 241 Daxue Road, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, PR China.
| | - Yuchun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, PR China.
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2
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Mills DB, Macalady JL, Frank A, Wright JT. A reassessment of the "hard-steps" model for the evolution of intelligent life. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2025; 11:eads5698. [PMID: 39951518 PMCID: PMC11827626 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads5698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2025] [Indexed: 02/16/2025]
Abstract
According to the "hard-steps" model, the origin of humanity required "successful passage through a number of intermediate steps" (so-called "hard steps") that were intrinsically improbable in the time available for biological evolution on Earth. This model similarly predicts that technological life analogous to human life on Earth is "exceedingly rare" in the Universe. Here, we critically reevaluate core assumptions of the hard-steps model through the lens of historical geobiology. Specifically, we propose an alternative model where there are no hard steps, and evolutionary singularities required for human origins can be explained via mechanisms outside of intrinsic improbability. Furthermore, if Earth's surface environment was initially inhospitable not only to human life, but also to certain key intermediate steps required for human existence, then the timing of human origins was controlled by the sequential opening of new global environmental windows of habitability over Earth history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B. Mills
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Paleontology and Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80333 Munich, Germany
- The Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center, Penn State, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, Penn State, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Macalady
- The Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center, Penn State, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, Penn State, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Geosciences, Penn State, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Astrobiology Research Center, Penn State, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Adam Frank
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14620, USA
| | - Jason T. Wright
- The Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center, Penn State, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, Penn State, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Penn State, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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3
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Chao ZF, Chao DY. Barriers and carriers for transition metal homeostasis in plants. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2025; 6:101235. [PMID: 39731291 PMCID: PMC11897463 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.101235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2024] [Revised: 12/02/2024] [Accepted: 12/25/2024] [Indexed: 12/29/2024]
Abstract
Transition metals are types of metals with high chemical activity. They play critical roles in plant growth, development, reproduction, and environmental adaptation, as well as in human health. However, the acquisition, transport, and storage of these metals pose specific challenges due to their high reactivity and poor solubility. In addition, distinct yet interconnected apoplastic and symplastic diffusion barriers impede their movement throughout plants. To overcome these obstacles, plants have evolved sophisticated carrier systems to facilitate metal transport, relying on the tight coordination of vesicles, enzymes, metallochaperones, low-molecular-weight metal ligands, and membrane transporters for metals, ligands, and metal-ligand complexes. This review highlights recent advances in the homeostasis of transition metals in plants, focusing on the barriers to transition metal transport and the carriers that facilitate their passage through these barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Fei Chao
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics & Crop Plant Research (IPK) OT Gatersleben, Corrensstr 3, 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Dai-Yin Chao
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
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4
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Lees EW, Tournassat C, Weber AZ, Gilbert PUPA. eCoral: How Electrolysis Could Restore Seawater Conditions Ideal for Coral Reefs. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:12206-12211. [PMID: 39625846 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c02715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2024]
Abstract
Coral reefs suffer from climate change, including long-term ocean acidification (OA) and warming and short-term bleaching, tropical storms, and pollution events, all of which are increasing in frequency and severity. It is urgent yet unclear how to intervene to save coral reefs. Reversal of the ocean pH to preindustrial levels could restore coral reefs to their preindustrial growth rates; however, strategies to reverse OA on environmentally relevant scales have not been established. Anecdotally, electrolysis seems to help coral reefs recover from acidification and short-term events, but few uncontrolled studies support such claims. Here, using two independent continuum simulation approaches (COMSOL and CrunchFlow), we show the effect of electrolysis on seawater chemistry relevant to coral reef survival and growth. We conclude that near the negative electrodes, the cathodes, seawater pH, supersaturation, and carbonate concentration all increase significantly. Electrolysis of seawater, therefore, can be used to restore preindustrial ocean conditions locally to save coral reefs, an approach termed eCoral here. We anticipate these simulation results to be the starting point for controlled experiments to test whether seawater electrolysis promotes coral reef growth and restoration, as these simulations predict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric W Lees
- Energy Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Christophe Tournassat
- Energy Geosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- ISTO, UMR 7327, Univ Orleans, CNRS, BRGM, OSUC, F-45071 Orléans, France
| | - Adam Z Weber
- Energy Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Pupa U P A Gilbert
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Departments of Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering, and Geoscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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5
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Abel S, Naumann C. Evolution of phosphate scouting in the terrestrial biosphere. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230355. [PMID: 39343020 PMCID: PMC11528361 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemistry assigns phosphorus and its most oxidized form, inorganic phosphate, unique roles for propelling bioenergetics and metabolism in all domains of life, possibly since its very origin on prebiotic Earth. For plants, access to the vital mineral nutrient profoundly affects growth, development and vigour, thus constraining net primary productivity in natural ecosystems and crop production in modern agriculture. Unlike other major biogenic elements, the low abundance and uneven distribution of phosphate in Earth's crust result from the peculiarities of phosphorus cosmochemistry and geochemistry. Here, we trace the chemical evolution of the element, the geochemical phosphorus cycle and its acceleration during Earth's history until the present (Anthropocene) as well as during the evolution and rise of terrestrial plants. We highlight the chemical and biological processes of phosphate mobilization and acquisition, first evolved in bacteria, refined in fungi and algae and expanded into powerful phosphate-prospecting strategies during land plant colonization. Furthermore, we review the evolution of the genetic and molecular networks from bacteria to terrestrial plants, which monitor intracellular and extracellular phosphate availabilities and coordinate the appropriate responses and adjustments to fluctuating phosphate supply. Lastly, we discuss the modern global phosphorus cycle deranged by human activity and the challenges imposed ahead. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution and diversity of plant metabolism'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Abel
- Department of Molecular Signal Processing, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Halle06120, Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle06120, Germany
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA95616, USA
| | - Christin Naumann
- Department of Molecular Signal Processing, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Halle06120, Germany
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6
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Kaçar B. Reconstructing Early Microbial Life. Annu Rev Microbiol 2024; 78:463-492. [PMID: 39163590 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-041522-103400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
For more than 3.5 billion years, life experienced dramatic environmental extremes on Earth. These include shifts from oxygen-less to overoxygenated atmospheres and cycling between hothouse conditions and global glaciations. Meanwhile, an ecological revolution took place. Earth evolved from one dominated by microbial life to one containing the plants and animals that are most familiar today. Many key cellular features evolved early in the history of life, collectively defining the nature of our biosphere and underpinning human survival. Recent advances in molecular biology and bioinformatics have greatly improved our understanding of microbial evolution across deep time. However, the incorporation of molecular genetics, population biology, and evolutionary biology approaches into the study of Precambrian biota remains a significant challenge. This review synthesizes our current knowledge of early microbial life with an emphasis on ancient metabolisms. It also outlines the foundations of an emerging interdisciplinary area that integrates microbiology, paleobiology, and evolutionary synthetic biology to reconstruct ancient biological innovations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betül Kaçar
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA;
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7
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Forterre P. The Last Universal Common Ancestor of Ribosome-Encoding Organisms: Portrait of LUCA. J Mol Evol 2024; 92:550-583. [PMID: 39158619 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-024-10186-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
The existence of LUCA in the distant past is the logical consequence of the binary mechanism of cell division. The biosphere in which LUCA and contemporaries were living was the product of a long cellular evolution from the origin of life to the second age of the RNA world. A parsimonious scenario suggests that the molecular fabric of LUCA was much simpler than those of modern organisms, explaining why the evolutionary tempo was faster at the time of LUCA than it was during the diversification of the three domains. Although LUCA was possibly equipped with a RNA genome and most likely lacked an ATP synthase, it was already able to perform basic metabolic functions and to produce efficient proteins. However, the proteome of LUCA and its inferred metabolism remains to be correctly explored by in-depth phylogenomic analyses and updated datasets. LUCA was probably a mesophile or a moderate thermophile since phylogenetic analyses indicate that it lacked reverse gyrase, an enzyme systematically present in all hyperthermophiles. The debate about the position of Eukarya in the tree of life, either sister group to Archaea or descendants of Archaea, has important implications to draw the portrait of LUCA. In the second alternative, one can a priori exclude the presence of specific eukaryotic features in LUCA. In contrast, if Archaea and Eukarya are sister group, some eukaryotic features, such as the spliceosome, might have been present in LUCA and later lost in Archaea and Bacteria. The nature of the LUCA virome is another matter of debate. I suggest here that DNA viruses only originated during the diversification of the three domains from an RNA-based LUCA to explain the odd distribution pattern of DNA viruses in the tree of life.
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8
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Leon F, Espinoza-Esparza JM, Deng V, Coyle MC, Espinoza S, Booth DS. Cell differentiation controls iron assimilation in a choanoflagellate. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.25.595918. [PMID: 39345370 PMCID: PMC11429873 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.25.595918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Marine microeukaryotes have evolved diverse cellular features that link their life histories to surrounding environments. How those dynamic life histories intersect with the ecological functions of microeukaryotes remains a frontier to understand their roles in essential biogeochemical cycles1,2. Choanoflagellates, phagotrophs that cycle nutrients through filter feeding, provide models to explore this intersection, for many choanoflagellate species transition between life history stages by differentiating into distinct cell types3-6. Here we report that cell differentiation in the marine choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta endows one of its cell types with the ability to utilize insoluble ferric colloids for improved growth through the expression of a cytochrome b561 iron reductase (cytb561a). This gene is an ortholog of the mammalian duodenal cytochrome b561 (DCYTB) that reduces ferric cations prior to their uptake in gut epithelia7 and is part of an iron utilization toolkit that choanoflagellates and their closest living relatives, the animals, inherited from a last common eukaryotic ancestor. In a database of oceanic metagenomes8,9, the abundance of cytb561a transcripts from choanoflagellates positively correlates with upwellings, which are a major source of ferric colloids in marine environments10. As this predominant form of iron11,12 is largely inaccessible to cell-walled microbes13,14, choanoflagellates and other phagotrophic eukaryotes may serve critical ecological roles by first acquiring ferric colloids through phagocytosis and then cycling this essential nutrient through iron utilization pathways13-15. These findings provide insight into the ecological roles choanoflagellates perform and inform reconstructions of early animal evolution where functionally distinct cell types became an integrated whole at the origin of animal multicellularity16-22.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrick Leon
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub & Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Jesus M. Espinoza-Esparza
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub & Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Vicki Deng
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub & Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143
- Current Address: Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Maxwell C. Coyle
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute & Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Current Address: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Sarah Espinoza
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute & Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - David S. Booth
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub & Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143
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9
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Eknoyan G, Lederer ED. Phosphorus: Chronicles of the epistemology of a vital element. Clin Nephrol 2024; 102:117-124. [PMID: 38836367 PMCID: PMC11370277 DOI: 10.5414/cn111435] [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] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
It was in the philosopher's stone quest that the alchemist Hennig Brand isolated chemiluminescent white phosphorus (P), Greek for "light bearer", from urine in 1669. By 1771 phosphorus was isolated from bone, and in 1777 it was identified by Antoine Lavoisier as a highly reactive element that exists predominantly in nature as ionic phosphate (PO43-) and in solution as phosphoric acid (H3PO4). Early 20th century studies revealed phosphorylated biomolecules as essential components of replicative nuclear material (RNA, DNA), a metabolic source of energy (ATP), and structural components of cellular membrane (phospholipid bilayer). Life on earth began as organophosphates of a self-replicating RNA that evolved into DNA and acquired a membrane to form the original eukaryotes, which eventually joined to form multicellular organisms of the deep sea. Tissue mineralization during transition from the ocean to land generated the endoskeleton, the largest phosphorus stores of evolving vertebrates. Subsequent studies of phosphate homeostasis elucidated its complex regulatory system based on the interaction of the kidney, small intestine, bone, and parathyroid glands, orchestrated by hormones (PTH, calcitriol, FGF23, Klotho), and carried out by phosphate-specific transporters (SLC34 and SLC20 families) all to ensure adequate phosphate for survival and health. Paradoxically, kidney replacement therapy in the 1970s, by prolonging the lives of millions of individuals with kidney failure, revealed the hazards of phosphorus excess. "Phosphorus the light bearer" has become in the eyes of many nephrologists "Phosphorus the cardiovascular toxin".
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10
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Colman DR, Keller LM, Arteaga-Pozo E, Andrade-Barahona E, St Clair B, Shoemaker A, Cox A, Boyd ES. Covariation of hot spring geochemistry with microbial genomic diversity, function, and evolution. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7506. [PMID: 39209850 PMCID: PMC11362583 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51841-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The geosphere and the microbial biosphere have co-evolved for ~3.8 Ga, with many lines of evidence suggesting a hydrothermal habitat for life's origin. However, the extent that contemporary thermophiles and their hydrothermal habitats reflect those that likely existed on early Earth remains unknown. To address this knowledge gap, 64 geochemical analytes were measured and 1022 metagenome-assembled-genomes (MAGs) were generated from 34 chemosynthetic high-temperature springs in Yellowstone National Park and analysed alongside 444 MAGs from 35 published metagenomes. We used these data to evaluate co-variation in MAG taxonomy, metabolism, and phylogeny as a function of hot spring geochemistry. We found that cohorts of MAGs and their functions are discretely distributed across pH gradients that reflect different geochemical provinces. Acidic or circumneutral/alkaline springs harbor MAGs that branched later and are enriched in sulfur- and arsenic-based O2-dependent metabolic pathways that are inconsistent with early Earth conditions. In contrast, moderately acidic springs sourced by volcanic gas harbor earlier-branching MAGs that are enriched in anaerobic, gas-dependent metabolisms (e.g. H2, CO2, CH4 metabolism) that have been hypothesized to support early microbial life. Our results provide insight into the influence of redox state in the eco-evolutionary feedbacks between thermophiles and their habitats and suggest moderately acidic springs as early Earth analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Colman
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
| | - Lisa M Keller
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Emilia Arteaga-Pozo
- Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Montana Technological University, Butte, MT, USA
| | - Eva Andrade-Barahona
- Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Montana Technological University, Butte, MT, USA
| | - Brian St Clair
- Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Montana Technological University, Butte, MT, USA
| | - Anna Shoemaker
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Alysia Cox
- Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Montana Technological University, Butte, MT, USA
| | - Eric S Boyd
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
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11
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Bujak J, Bujak A. Origin and Evolution of the Azolla Superorganism. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:2106. [PMID: 39124224 PMCID: PMC11314209 DOI: 10.3390/plants13152106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Azolla is the only plant with a co-evolving nitrogen-fixing (diazotrophic) cyanobacterial symbiont (cyanobiont), Nostoc azollae, resulting from whole-genome duplication (WGD) 80 million years ago in Azolla's ancestor. Additional genes from the WGD resulted in genetic, biochemical, and morphological changes in the plant that enabled the transmission of the cyanobiont to successive generations via its megaspores. The resulting permanent symbiosis and co-evolution led to the loss, downregulation, or conversion of non-essential genes to pseudogenes in the cyanobiont, changing it from a free-living organism to an obligate symbiont. The upregulation of other genes in the cyanobiont increased its atmospheric dinitrogen fixation and the provision of nitrogen-based products to the plant. As a result, Azolla can double its biomass in less than two days free-floating on fresh water and sequester large amounts of atmospheric CO2, giving it the potential to mitigate anthropogenic climate change through carbon capture and storage. Azolla's biomass can also provide local, low-cost food, biofertiliser, feed, and biofuel that are urgently needed as our population increases by a billion every twelve years. This paper integrates data from biology, genetics, geology, and palaeontology to identify the location, timing and mechanism for the acquisition of a co-evolving diazotrophic cyanobiont by Azolla's ancestor in the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of North America.
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12
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Harris DF, Rucker HR, Garcia AK, Yang ZY, Chang SD, Feinsilber H, Kaçar B, Seefeldt LC. Ancient nitrogenases are ATP dependent. mBio 2024; 15:e0127124. [PMID: 38869277 PMCID: PMC11253609 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01271-24] [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: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Life depends on a conserved set of chemical energy currencies that are relics of early biochemistry. One of these is ATP, a molecule that, when paired with a divalent metal ion such as Mg2+, can be hydrolyzed to support numerous cellular and molecular processes. Despite its centrality to extant biochemistry, it is unclear whether ATP supported the function of ancient enzymes. We investigate the evolutionary necessity of ATP by experimentally reconstructing an ancestral variant of the N2-reducing enzyme nitrogenase. The Proterozoic ancestor is predicted to be ~540-2,300 million years old, post-dating the Great Oxidation Event. Growth rates under nitrogen-fixing conditions are ~80% of those of wild type in Azotobacter vinelandii. In the extant enzyme, the hydrolysis of two MgATP is coupled to electron transfer to support substrate reduction. The ancestor has a strict requirement for ATP with no other nucleotide triphosphate analogs (GTP, ITP, and UTP) supporting activity. Alternative divalent metal ions (Fe2+, Co2+, and Mn2+) support activity with ATP but with diminished activities compared to Mg2+, similar to the extant enzyme. Additionally, it is shown that the ancestor has an identical efficiency in ATP hydrolyzed per electron transferred to the extant of two. Our results provide direct laboratory evidence of ATP usage by an ancient enzyme.IMPORTANCELife depends on energy-carrying molecules to power many sustaining processes. There is evidence that these molecules may predate the rise of life on Earth, but how and when these dependencies formed is unknown. The resurrection of ancient enzymes provides a unique tool to probe the enzyme's function and usage of energy-carrying molecules, shedding light on their biochemical origins. Through experimental reconstruction, this research investigates the ancestral dependence of a nitrogen-fixing enzyme on the energy carrier ATP, a requirement for function in the modern enzyme. We show that the resurrected ancestor does not have generalist nucleotide specificity. Rather, the ancestor has a strict requirement for ATP, like the modern enzyme, with similar function and efficiency. The findings elucidate the early-evolved necessity of energy-yielding molecules, delineating their role in ancient biochemical processes. Ultimately, these insights contribute to unraveling the intricate tapestry of evolutionary biology and the origins of life-sustaining dependencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek F. Harris
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Holly R. Rucker
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Amanda K. Garcia
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Zhi-Yong Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Scott D. Chang
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Hannah Feinsilber
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Betül Kaçar
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Lance C. Seefeldt
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
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13
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Motomura K, Bekker A, Ikehara M, Sano T, Lin Y, Kiyokawa S. Lateral redox variability in ca. 1.9 Ga marine environments indicated by organic carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions. GEOBIOLOGY 2024; 22:e12614. [PMID: 39129173 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
The stepwise oxygenation of Earth's surficial environment is thought to have shaped the evolutionary history of life. Microfossil records and molecular clocks suggest eukaryotes appeared during the Paleoproterozoic, perhaps shortly after the Great Oxidation Episode at ca. 2.43 Ga. The mildly oxygenated atmosphere and surface oceans likely contributed to the early evolution of eukaryotes. However, the principal trigger for the eukaryote appearance and a potential factor for their delayed expansion (i.e., intermediate ocean redox conditions until the Neoproterozoic) remain poorly understood, largely owing to a lack of constraints on marine and terrestrial nutrient cycling. Here, we analyzed redox-sensitive element contents and organic carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions of relatively low metamorphic-grade (greenschist facies) black shales preserved in the Flin Flon Belt of central Canada to examine open-marine redox conditions and biological activity around the ca. 1.9 Ga Flin Flon oceanic island arc. The black shale samples were collected from the Reed Lake area in the eastern part of the Flin Flon Belt, and the depositional site was likely distal from the Archean cratons. The black shales have low Al/Ti ratios and are slightly depleted in light rare-earth elements relative to the post-Archean average shale, which is consistent with a limited contribution from felsic igneous rocks in Archean upper continental crust. Redox conditions have likely varied between suboxic and euxinic at the depositional site of the studied section, as suggested by variable U/Al and Mo/Al ratios. Organic carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions of the black shales are approximately -23‰ and +13.7‰, respectively, and these values are systematically higher than those of broadly coeval continental margin deposits (approximately -30‰ for δ13Corg and +5‰ for δ15Nbulk). These elevated values are indicative of high productivity that led to enhanced denitrification (i.e., a high denitrification rate relative to nitrogen influx at the depositional site). Similar geochemical patterns have also been observed in the modern Peruvian oxygen minimum zone where dissolved nitrogen compounds are actively lost from the reservoir via denitrification and anammox, but the large nitrate reservoir of the deep ocean prevents exhaustion of the surface nitrate pool. Nitrogen must have been widely bioavailable in the ca. 1.9 Ga oceans, and its supply to upwelling zones must have supported habitable environments for eukaryotes, even in the middle of oceans around island arcs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kento Motomura
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Andrey Bekker
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
- Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Minoru Ikehara
- Marine Core Research Institute, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan
| | - Takashi Sano
- Department of Geology and Paleontology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Ying Lin
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Shoichi Kiyokawa
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Marine Core Research Institute, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan
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14
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Krämer U. Metal Homeostasis in Land Plants: A Perpetual Balancing Act Beyond the Fulfilment of Metalloproteome Cofactor Demands. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 75:27-65. [PMID: 38277698 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-070623-105324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
One of life's decisive innovations was to harness the catalytic power of metals for cellular chemistry. With life's expansion, global atmospheric and biogeochemical cycles underwent dramatic changes. Although initially harmful, they permitted the evolution of multicellularity and the colonization of land. In land plants as primary producers, metal homeostasis faces heightened demands, in part because soil is a challenging environment for nutrient balancing. To avoid both nutrient metal limitation and metal toxicity, plants must maintain the homeostasis of metals within tighter limits than the homeostasis of other minerals. This review describes the present model of protein metalation and sketches its transfer from unicellular organisms to land plants as complex multicellular organisms. The inseparable connection between metal and redox homeostasis increasingly draws our attention to more general regulatory roles of metals. Mineral co-option, the use of nutrient or other metals for functions other than nutrition, is an emerging concept beyond that of nutritional immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ute Krämer
- Molecular Genetics and Physiology of Plants, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany;
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15
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Maloney KM, Halverson GP, Lechte M, Gibson TM, Bui TH, Schiffbauer JD, Laflamme M. The paleoredox context of early eukaryotic evolution: insights from the Tonian Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup, Canada. GEOBIOLOGY 2024; 22:e12598. [PMID: 38700417 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12598] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Tonian (ca. 1000-720 Ma) marine environments are hypothesised to have experienced major redox changes coinciding with the evolution and diversification of multicellular eukaryotes. In particular, the earliest Tonian stratigraphic record features the colonisation of benthic habitats by multicellular macroscopic algae, which would have been powerful ecosystem engineers that contributed to the oxygenation of the oceans and the reorganisation of biogeochemical cycles. However, the paleoredox context of this expansion of macroalgal habitats in Tonian nearshore marine environments remains uncertain due to limited well-preserved fossils and stratigraphy. As such, the interdependent relationship between early complex life and ocean redox state is unclear. An assemblage of macrofossils including the chlorophyte macroalga Archaeochaeta guncho was recently discovered in the lower Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup in Yukon (Canada), which archives marine sedimentation from ca. 950-775 Ma, permitting investigation into environmental evolution coincident with eukaryotic ecosystem evolution and expansion. Here we present multi-proxy geochemical data from the lower Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup to constrain the paleoredox environment within which these large benthic macroalgae thrived. Two transects show evidence for basin-wide anoxic (ferruginous) oceanic conditions (i.e., high FeHR/FeT, low Fepy/FeHR), with muted redox-sensitive trace metal enrichments and possible seasonal variability. However, the weathering of sulfide minerals in the studied samples may obscure geochemical signatures of euxinic conditions. These results suggest that macroalgae colonized shallow environments in an ocean that remained dominantly anoxic with limited evidence for oxygenation until ca. 850 Ma. Collectively, these geochemical results provide novel insights into the environmental conditions surrounding the evolution and expansion of benthic macroalgae and the eventual dominance of oxygenated oceanic conditions required for the later emergence of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie M Maloney
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences/GEOTOP, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Galen P Halverson
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences/GEOTOP, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Maxwell Lechte
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences/GEOTOP, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Timothy M Gibson
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Thi Hao Bui
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences/GEOTOP, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - James D Schiffbauer
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
- X-ray Microanalysis Core, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Marc Laflamme
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
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16
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Stern RJ, Gerya TV. The importance of continents, oceans and plate tectonics for the evolution of complex life: implications for finding extraterrestrial civilizations. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8552. [PMID: 38609425 PMCID: PMC11015018 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54700-x] [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: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Within the uncertainties of involved astronomical and biological parameters, the Drake Equation typically predicts that there should be many exoplanets in our galaxy hosting active, communicative civilizations (ACCs). These optimistic calculations are however not supported by evidence, which is often referred to as the Fermi Paradox. Here, we elaborate on this long-standing enigma by showing the importance of planetary tectonic style for biological evolution. We summarize growing evidence that a prolonged transition from Mesoproterozoic active single lid tectonics (1.6 to 1.0 Ga) to modern plate tectonics occurred in the Neoproterozoic Era (1.0 to 0.541 Ga), which dramatically accelerated emergence and evolution of complex species. We further suggest that both continents and oceans are required for ACCs because early evolution of simple life must happen in water but late evolution of advanced life capable of creating technology must happen on land. We resolve the Fermi Paradox (1) by adding two additional terms to the Drake Equation: foc (the fraction of habitable exoplanets with significant continents and oceans) and fpt (the fraction of habitable exoplanets with significant continents and oceans that have had plate tectonics operating for at least 0.5 Ga); and (2) by demonstrating that the product of foc and fpt is very small (< 0.00003-0.002). We propose that the lack of evidence for ACCs reflects the scarcity of long-lived plate tectonics and/or continents and oceans on exoplanets with primitive life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Stern
- Department of Sustainable Earth Systems Science, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75083-0688, USA
| | - Taras V Gerya
- Department of Earth Sciences, ETH-Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
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17
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Wei GY, Zhao M, Sperling EA, Gaines RR, Kalderon-Asael B, Shen J, Li C, Zhang F, Li G, Zhou C, Cai C, Chen D, Xiao KQ, Jiang L, Ling HF, Planavsky NJ, Tarhan LG. Lithium isotopic constraints on the evolution of continental clay mineral factory and marine oxygenation in the earliest Paleozoic Era. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk2152. [PMID: 38552018 PMCID: PMC10980266 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk2152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
The evolution of oxygen cycles on Earth's surface has been regulated by the balance between molecular oxygen production and consumption. The Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic transition likely marks the second rise in atmospheric and oceanic oxygen levels, widely attributed to enhanced burial of organic carbon. However, it remains disputed how marine organic carbon production and burial respond to global environmental changes and whether these feedbacks trigger global oxygenation during this interval. Here, we report a large lithium isotopic and elemental dataset from marine mudstones spanning the upper Neoproterozoic to middle Cambrian [~660 million years ago (Ma) to 500 Ma]. These data indicate a dramatic increase in continental clay formation after ~525 Ma, likely linked to secular changes in global climate and compositions of the continental crust. Using a global biogeochemical model, we suggest that intensified continental weathering and clay delivery to the oceans could have notably increased the burial efficiency of organic carbon and facilitated greater oxygen accumulation in the earliest Paleozoic oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Yi Wei
- School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, and Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA
| | - Mingyu Zhao
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Erik A. Sperling
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Boriana Kalderon-Asael
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA
| | - Jun Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Chao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation and Institute of Sedimentary Geology, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
- Key Laboratory of Deep-time Geography and Environment Reconstruction and Applications of Ministry of Natural Resources, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
- International Center for Sedimentary Geochemistry and Biogeochemistry Research, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
| | - Feifei Zhang
- School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, and Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Gaojun Li
- School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, and Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chuanming Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Center for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Chunfang Cai
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Daizhao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ke-Qing Xiao
- State Key Lab of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shuangqing Rd. 18, 10085, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lei Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hong-Fei Ling
- School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, and Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Noah J. Planavsky
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA
| | - Lidya G. Tarhan
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA
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18
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Zhang S, Wang H, Wang X, Zheng W, Hao J, Pogge von Strandmann PAE, Ye Y, Shi M, Liu Y, Lyu Y. Subaerial volcanism broke mid-Proterozoic environmental stasis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk5991. [PMID: 38552019 PMCID: PMC10980267 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk5991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
The mid-Proterozoic, spanning 1.8 to 0.8 billion years ago, is recognized as a phase of marine anoxia, low marine primary productivity (MPP), and constrained eukaryotic biodiversity. However, emerging evidence suggesting intermittent environmental disturbances and concurrent eukaryotic evolution challenges the notion of a stagnant Earth during this era. We present a study detailing volcanic activity and its consequential impact on terrestrial weathering and MPP, elucidated through the examination of 1.4-billion-year-old tropical offshore sediments. Our investigation, leveraging precise mercury (Hg) and lithium (Li) isotopic analyses, reveals the introduction of fresh rock substrates by local volcanism. This geological event initiated a transformative process, shifting the initial regolith-dominated condition in tropical lowland to a regime of enhanced chemical weathering and denudation efficiency. Notably, the heightened influx of nutrient-rich volcanic derivatives, especially phosphorus, spurred MPP rates and heightened organic carbon burial. These factors emerge as potential drivers in breaking the long-term static state of the mid-Proterozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuichang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Huajian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xiaomei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Wang Zheng
- School of Earth System Science, Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jihua Hao
- Deep Space Exploration Laboratory/CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Philip A. E. Pogge von Strandmann
- LOGIC, Institute of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University College London and Birkbeck, University of London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- MIGHTY, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55122 Mainz, Germany
| | - Yuntao Ye
- Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Miao Shi
- School of Earth System Science, Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yuke Liu
- Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yitong Lyu
- Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation, Beijing 100083, China
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19
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Pi HW, Chiang YR, Li WH. Mapping Geological Events and Nitrogen Fixation Evolution Onto the Timetree of the Evolution of Nitrogen-Fixation Genes. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae023. [PMID: 38319744 PMCID: PMC10881105 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen is essential for all organisms, but biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) occurs only in a small fraction of prokaryotes. Previous studies divided nitrogenase-gene-carrying prokaryotes into Groups I to IV and provided evidence that BNF first evolved in bacteria. This study constructed a timetree of the evolution of nitrogen-fixation genes and estimated that archaea evolved BNF much later than bacteria and that nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria evolved later than 1,900 MYA, considerably younger than the previous estimate of 2,200 MYA. Moreover, Groups III and II/I diverged ∼2,280 MYA, after the Kenorland supercontinent breakup (∼2,500-2,100 MYA) and the Great Oxidation Event (∼2,400-2,100 MYA); Groups III and Vnf/Anf diverged ∼2,086 MYA, after the Yarrabubba impact (∼2,229 MYA); and Groups II and I diverged ∼1,920 MYA, after the Vredefort impact (∼2,023 MYA). In summary, this study provided a timescale of BNF events and discussed the possible effects of geological events on BNF evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Wei Pi
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115201, Taiwan
- Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
| | - Yin-Ru Chiang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115201, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Hsiung Li
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115201, Taiwan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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20
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Maull V, Pla Mauri J, Conde Pueyo N, Solé R. A synthetic microbial Daisyworld: planetary regulation in the test tube. J R Soc Interface 2024; 21:20230585. [PMID: 38321922 PMCID: PMC10847846 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0585] [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: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The idea that the Earth system self-regulates in a habitable state was proposed in the 1970s by James Lovelock, who conjectured that life plays a self-regulatory role on a planetary-level scale. A formal approach to such hypothesis was presented afterwards under a toy model known as the Daisyworld. The model showed how such life-geosphere homeostasis was an emergent property of the system, where two species with different properties adjusted their populations to the changing external environment. So far, this ideal world exists only as a mathematical or computational construct, but it would be desirable to have a real, biological implementation of Lovelock's picture beyond our one biosphere. Inspired by the exploration of synthetic ecosystems using genetic engineering and recent cell factory designs, here we propose a possible implementation for a microbial Daisyworld. This includes: (i) an explicit proposal for an engineered design of a two-strain consortia, using pH as the external, abiotic control parameter and (ii) several theoretical and computational case studies including two, three and multiple species assemblies. The special alternative implementations and their implications in other synthetic biology scenarios, including ecosystem engineering, are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Maull
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Psg Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- Complex Systems Lab, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Jordi Pla Mauri
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Psg Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- Complex Systems Lab, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Nuria Conde Pueyo
- Complex Systems Lab, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- EMBL Barcelona, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Ricard Solé
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Psg Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- Complex Systems Lab, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
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21
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Lu Z, Xia R, Zhang S, Pan J, Liu Y, Wolf YI, Koonin EV, Li M. Evolution of optimal growth temperature in Asgard archaea inferred from the temperature dependence of GDP binding to EF-1A. Nat Commun 2024; 15:515. [PMID: 38225278 PMCID: PMC10789797 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44806-1] [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: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes apparently belonged to the phylum Asgardarchaeota, but the ecology and evolution of Asgard archaea are poorly understood. The optimal GDP-binding temperature of a translation elongation factor (EF-1A or EF-Tu) has been previously shown to correlate with the optimal growth temperature of diverse prokaryotes. Here, we reconstruct ancestral EF-1A sequences and experimentally measure the optimal GDP-binding temperature of EF-1A from ancient and extant Asgard archaea, to infer the evolution of optimal growth temperatures in Asgardarchaeota. Our results suggest that the Asgard ancestor of eukaryotes was a moderate thermophile, with an optimal growth temperature around 53 °C. The origin of eukaryotes appears to coincide with a transition from thermophilic to mesophilic lifestyle during the evolution of Asgard archaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyi Lu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Runyue Xia
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Siyu Zhang
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Jie Pan
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Yuri I Wolf
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
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22
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Xu X, Li C, Cao W, Yan L, Cao L, Han Q, Gao M, Chen Y, Shen Z, Jiang J, Chen C. Bacterial growth and environmental adaptation via thiamine biosynthesis and thiamine-mediated metabolic interactions. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae157. [PMID: 39129674 PMCID: PMC11346370 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae157] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the ancestral transition from anaerobic to aerobic lifestyles is essential for comprehending life's early evolution. However, the biological adaptations occurring during this crucial transition remain largely unexplored. Thiamine is an important cofactor involved in central carbon metabolism and aerobic respiration. Here, we explored the phylogenetic and global distribution of thiamine-auxotrophic and thiamine-prototrophic bacteria based on the thiamine biosynthetic pathway in 154 838 bacterial genomes. We observed strong coincidences of the origin of thiamine-synthetic bacteria with the "Great Oxygenation Event," indicating that thiamine biosynthesis in bacteria emerged as an adaptation to aerobic respiration. Furthermore, we demonstrated that thiamine-mediated metabolic interactions are fundamental factors influencing the assembly and diversity of bacterial communities by a global survey across 4245 soil samples. Through our newly established stable isotope probing-metabolic modeling method, we uncovered the active utilization of thiamine-mediated metabolic interactions by bacterial communities in response to changing environments, thus revealing an environmental adaptation strategy employed by bacteria at the community level. Our study demonstrates the widespread thiamine-mediated metabolic interactions in bacterial communities and their crucial roles in setting the stage for an evolutionary transition from anaerobic to aerobic lifestyles and subsequent environmental adaptation. These findings provide new insights into early bacterial evolution and their subsequent growth and adaptations to environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xihui Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Can Li
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Weimiao Cao
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Lulu Yan
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Lulu Cao
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Qi Han
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Minling Gao
- Department of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
| | - Yahua Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Zhenguo Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jiandong Jiang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Chen Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
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23
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Huang B, Liu M, Kusky TM, Johnson TE, Wilde SA, Fu D, Deng H, Qian Q. Changes in orogenic style and surface environment recorded in Paleoproterozoic foreland successions. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7997. [PMID: 38042882 PMCID: PMC10693560 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43893-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The Earth's interior and surficial systems underwent dramatic changes during the Paleoproterozoic, but the interaction between them remains poorly understood. Rocks deposited in orogenic foreland basins retain a record of the near surface to deep crustal processes that operate during subduction to collision and provide information on the interaction between plate tectonics and surface responses through time. Here, we document the depositional-to-deformational life cycle of a Paleoproterozoic foreland succession from the North China Craton. The succession was deposited in a foreland basin following ca. 2.50-2.47 Ga Altaid-style arc-microcontinent collision, and then converted to a fold-and-thrust belt at ca. 2.0-1.8 Ga due to Himalayan-style continent-continent collision. These two periods correspond to the assembly of supercratons in the late Archean and of the Paleoproterozoic supercontinent Columbia, respectively, which suggests that similar basins may have been common at the periphery of other cratons. The multiple stages of orogenesis and accompanying tectonic denudation and silicate weathering, as recorded by orogenic foreland basins, likely contributed to substantial changes in the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere known to have occurred during the Paleoproterozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Huang
- Badong National Observation and Research Station of Geohazards, State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
| | - Man Liu
- Badong National Observation and Research Station of Geohazards, State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Timothy M Kusky
- Badong National Observation and Research Station of Geohazards, State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Tim E Johnson
- Badong National Observation and Research Station of Geohazards, State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, the Institute for Geoscience Research, Timescales of Mineral Systems Group, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Simon A Wilde
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, the Institute for Geoscience Research, Timescales of Mineral Systems Group, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Dong Fu
- Badong National Observation and Research Station of Geohazards, State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Hao Deng
- Badong National Observation and Research Station of Geohazards, State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Qunye Qian
- Badong National Observation and Research Station of Geohazards, State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
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24
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Edri R, Fisher S, Menor-Salvan C, Williams LD, Frenkel-Pinter M. Assembly-driven protection from hydrolysis as key selective force during chemical evolution. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:2879-2896. [PMID: 37884438 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The origins of biopolymers pose fascinating questions in prebiotic chemistry. The marvelous assembly proficiencies of biopolymers suggest they are winners of a competitive evolutionary process. Sophisticated molecular assembly is ubiquitous in life where it is often emergent upon polymerization. We focus on the influence of molecular assembly on hydrolysis rates in aqueous media and suggest that assembly was crucial for biopolymer selection. In this model, incremental enrichment of some molecular species during chemical evolution was partially driven by the interplay of kinetics of synthesis and hydrolysis. We document a general attenuation of hydrolysis by assembly (i.e., recalcitrance) for all universal biopolymers and highlight the likely role of assembly in the survival of the 'fittest' molecules during chemical evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rotem Edri
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
- The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Sarah Fisher
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
- The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Cesar Menor-Salvan
- Department of Biología de Sistemas, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Loren Dean Williams
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Moran Frenkel-Pinter
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
- The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
- Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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25
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Padilla S, Prado R, Anitua E. An evolutionary history of F12 gene: Emergence, loss, and vulnerability with the environment as a driver. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2300077. [PMID: 37750435 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
In the context of macroevolutionary transitions, environmental changes prompted vertebrates already bearing genetic variations to undergo gradual adaptations resulting in profound anatomical, physiological, and behavioral adaptations. The emergence of new genes led to the genetic variation essential in metazoan evolution, just as was gene loss, both sources of genetic variation resulting in adaptive phenotypic diversity. In this context, F12-coding protein with defense and hemostatic roles emerged some 425 Mya, and it might have contributed in aquatic vertebrates to the transition from water-to-land. Conversely, the F12 loss in marine, air-breathing mammals like cetaceans has been associated with phenotypic adaptations in some terrestrial mammals in their transition to aquatic lifestyle. More recently, the advent of technological innovations in western lifestyle with blood-contacting devices and harmful environmental nanoparticles, has unfolded new roles of FXII. Environment operates as either a positive or a relaxed selective pressure on genes, and consequently genes are selected or lost. FXII, an old dog facing environmental novelties can learn new tricks and teach us new therapeutic avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabino Padilla
- BTI-Biotechnology Institute ImasD, Vitoria, Spain
- Eduardo Anitua Foundation for Biomedical Research, Vitoria, Spain
- University Institute for Regenerative Medicine & Oral Implantology - UIRMI (UPV/EHU-Fundación Eduardo Anitua), Vitoria, Spain
| | - Roberto Prado
- BTI-Biotechnology Institute ImasD, Vitoria, Spain
- Eduardo Anitua Foundation for Biomedical Research, Vitoria, Spain
- University Institute for Regenerative Medicine & Oral Implantology - UIRMI (UPV/EHU-Fundación Eduardo Anitua), Vitoria, Spain
| | - Eduardo Anitua
- BTI-Biotechnology Institute ImasD, Vitoria, Spain
- Eduardo Anitua Foundation for Biomedical Research, Vitoria, Spain
- University Institute for Regenerative Medicine & Oral Implantology - UIRMI (UPV/EHU-Fundación Eduardo Anitua), Vitoria, Spain
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26
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Kipp MA. Carbon cycling: How much life has ever existed on Earth? Curr Biol 2023; 33:R1153-R1155. [PMID: 37935129 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.09.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Carbon has cycled through Earth's biosphere for billions of years. New work estimates that life has recycled the equivalent of almost 100 times the Earth's entire carbon reservoir through the biosphere. This highlights life's global impact, providing a benchmark for habitable planets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Kipp
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA; Division of Earth and Climate Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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27
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Jin Z, Wang X, Wang H, Ye Y, Zhang S. Organic carbon cycling and black shale deposition: an Earth System Science perspective. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad243. [PMID: 37900193 PMCID: PMC10612131 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Earth has a prolonged history characterized by substantial cycling of matter and energy between multiple spheres. The production of organic carbon can be traced back to as early as ∼4.0 Ga, but the frequency and scale of organic-rich shales have varied markedly over geological time. In this paper, we discuss the organic carbon cycle and the development of black shale from the perspective of Earth System Science. We propose that black shale depositions are the results of interactions among lithospheric evolution, orbital forcing, weathering, photosynthesis and degradation. Black shales can record Earth's oxygenation process, provide petroleum and metallic mineral resources and reveal information about the driver, direction and magnitude of climate change. Future research on black shales should be expanded to encompass a more extensive and more multidimensional perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijun Jin
- Institute of Energy, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
| | - Xiaomei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Central Laboratory of Geological Sciences, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation, Beijing100083, China
| | - Huajian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Central Laboratory of Geological Sciences, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation, Beijing100083, China
| | - Yuntao Ye
- Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Central Laboratory of Geological Sciences, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation, Beijing100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Ministry of Education, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
| | - Shuichang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry, Central Laboratory of Geological Sciences, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China National Petroleum Corporation, Beijing100083, China
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28
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Craig JM, Kumar S, Hedges SB. The origin of eukaryotes and rise in complexity were synchronous with the rise in oxygen. FRONTIERS IN BIOINFORMATICS 2023; 3:1233281. [PMID: 37727796 PMCID: PMC10505794 DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2023.1233281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The origin of eukaryotes was among the most important events in the history of life, spawning a new evolutionary lineage that led to all complex multicellular organisms. However, the timing of this event, crucial for understanding its environmental context, has been difficult to establish. The fossil and biomarker records are sparse and molecular clocks have thus far not reached a consensus, with dates spanning 2.1-0.91 billion years ago (Ga) for critical nodes. Notably, molecular time estimates for the last common ancestor of eukaryotes are typically hundreds of millions of years younger than the Great Oxidation Event (GOE, 2.43-2.22 Ga), leading researchers to question the presumptive link between eukaryotes and oxygen. We obtained a new time estimate for the origin of eukaryotes using genetic data of both archaeal and bacterial origin, the latter rarely used in past studies. We also avoided potential calibration biases that may have affected earlier studies. We obtained a conservative interval of 2.2-1.5 Ga, with an even narrower core interval of 2.0-1.8 Ga, for the origin of eukaryotes, a period closely aligned with the rise in oxygen. We further reconstructed the history of biological complexity across the tree of life using three universal measures: cell types, genes, and genome size. We found that the rise in complexity was temporally consistent with and followed a pattern similar to the rise in oxygen. This suggests a causal relationship stemming from the increased energy needs of complex life fulfilled by oxygen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack M. Craig
- Center for Biodiversity, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Center for Biodiversity, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - S. Blair Hedges
- Center for Biodiversity, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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29
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Lingam M, Frank A, Balbi A. Planetary Scale Information Transmission in the Biosphere and Technosphere: Limits and Evolution. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1850. [PMID: 37763254 PMCID: PMC10532900 DOI: 10.3390/life13091850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Information transmission via communication between agents is ubiquitous on Earth, and is a vital facet of living systems. In this paper, we aim to quantify this rate of information transmission associated with Earth's biosphere and technosphere (i.e., a measure of global information flow) by means of a heuristic order-of-magnitude model. By adopting ostensibly conservative values for the salient parameters, we estimate that the global information transmission rate for the biosphere might be ∼1024 bits/s, and that it may perhaps exceed the corresponding rate for the current technosphere by ∼9 orders of magnitude. However, under the equivocal assumption of sustained exponential growth, we find that information transmission in the technosphere can potentially surpass that of the biosphere ∼90 years in the future, reflecting its increasing dominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manasvi Lingam
- Department of Aerospace, Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
- Department of Physics and Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Adam Frank
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14620, USA
| | - Amedeo Balbi
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Roma, Italy
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30
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Shevela D, Kern JF, Govindjee G, Messinger J. Solar energy conversion by photosystem II: principles and structures. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2023; 156:279-307. [PMID: 36826741 PMCID: PMC10203033 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-022-00991-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic water oxidation by Photosystem II (PSII) is a fascinating process because it sustains life on Earth and serves as a blue print for scalable synthetic catalysts required for renewable energy applications. The biophysical, computational, and structural description of this process, which started more than 50 years ago, has made tremendous progress over the past two decades, with its high-resolution crystal structures being available not only of the dark-stable state of PSII, but of all the semi-stable reaction intermediates and even some transient states. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on PSII with emphasis on the basic principles that govern the conversion of light energy to chemical energy in PSII, as well as on the illustration of the molecular structures that enable these reactions. The important remaining questions regarding the mechanism of biological water oxidation are highlighted, and one possible pathway for this fundamental reaction is described at a molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Shevela
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biological Centre, Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Jan F Kern
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Govindjee Govindjee
- Department of Plant Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Center of Biophysics & Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Johannes Messinger
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biological Centre, Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden.
- Molecular Biomimetics, Department of Chemistry - Ångström, Uppsala University, 75120, Uppsala, Sweden.
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31
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Gonzalez-Nayeck AC, Grim SL, Waldbauer J, Dick GJ, Pearson A. Isotopic Signatures of Carbon Transfer in a Proterozoic Analogue Microbial Mat. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0187022. [PMID: 37093010 PMCID: PMC10231192 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01870-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern microbial mats are potential analogues for Proterozoic ecosystems, yet only a few studies have characterized mats under low-oxygen conditions that are relevant to Proterozoic environments. Here, we use protein-stable isotope fingerprinting (P-SIF) to determine the protein carbon isotope (δ13C) values of autotrophic, heterotrophic, and mixotrophic organisms in a benthic microbial mat from the low-oxygen Middle Island Sinkhole, Lake Huron, USA (MIS). We also measure the δ13C values of the sugar moieties of exopolysaccharides (EPS) within the mat to explore the relationships between cyanobacterial exudates and heterotrophic anabolic carbon uptake. Our results show that Cyanobacteria (autotrophs) are 13C-depleted, relative to sulfate-reducing bacteria (heterotrophs), and 13C-enriched, relative to sulfur oxidizing bacteria (autotrophs or mixotrophs). We also find that the pentose moieties of EPS are systematically enriched in 13C, relative to the hexose moieties of EPS. We hypothesize that these isotopic patterns reflect cyanobacterial metabolic pathways, particularly phosphoketolase, that are relatively more active in low-oxygen mat environments, rather than oxygenated mat environments. This results in isotopically more heterogeneous C sources in low-oxygen mats. While this might partially explain the isotopic variability observed in Proterozoic mat facies, further work is necessary to systematically characterize the isotopic fractionations that are associated with the synthesis of cyanobacterial exudates. IMPORTANCE The δ13C compositions of heterotrophic microorganisms are dictated by the δ13C compositions of their organic carbon sources. In both modern and ancient photosynthetic microbial mats, photosynthetic exudates are the most likely source of organic carbon for heterotrophs. We measured the δ13C values of autotrophic, heterotrophic, and mixotrophic bacteria as well as the δ13C value of the most abundant photosynthetic exudate (exopolysaccharide) in a modern analogue for a Proterozoic environment. Given these data, future studies will be better equipped to estimate the most likely carbon source for heterotrophs in both modern environments as well as in Proterozoic environments preserved in the rock record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C. Gonzalez-Nayeck
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sharon L. Grim
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jacob Waldbauer
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Gregory J. Dick
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ann Pearson
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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32
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Garcia AK, Kędzior M, Taton A, Li M, Young JN, Kaçar B. Effects of RuBisCO and CO 2 concentration on cyanobacterial growth and carbon isotope fractionation. GEOBIOLOGY 2023; 21:390-403. [PMID: 36602111 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Carbon isotope biosignatures preserved in the Precambrian geologic record are primarily interpreted to reflect ancient cyanobacterial carbon fixation catalyzed by Form I RuBisCO enzymes. The average range of isotopic biosignatures generally follows that produced by extant cyanobacteria. However, this observation is difficult to reconcile with several environmental (e.g., temperature, pH, and CO2 concentrations), molecular, and physiological factors that likely would have differed during the Precambrian and can produce fractionation variability in contemporary organisms that meets or exceeds that observed in the geologic record. To test a specific range of genetic and environmental factors that may impact ancient carbon isotope biosignatures, we engineered a mutant strain of the model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 that overexpresses RuBisCO across varying atmospheric CO2 concentrations. We hypothesized that changes in RuBisCO expression would impact the net rates of intracellular CO2 fixation versus CO2 supply, and thus whole-cell carbon isotope discrimination. In particular, we investigated the impacts of RuBisCO overexpression under changing CO2 concentrations on both carbon isotope biosignatures and cyanobacterial physiology, including cell growth and oxygen evolution rates. We found that an increased pool of active RuBisCO does not significantly affect the 13 C/12 C isotopic discrimination (εp ) at all tested CO2 concentrations, yielding εp of ≈ 23‰ for both wild-type and mutant strains at elevated CO2 . We therefore suggest that expected variation in cyanobacterial RuBisCO expression patterns should not confound carbon isotope biosignature interpretation. A deeper understanding of environmental, evolutionary, and intracellular factors that impact cyanobacterial physiology and isotope discrimination is crucial for reconciling microbially driven carbon biosignatures with those preserved in the geologic record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K Garcia
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Mateusz Kędzior
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Arnaud Taton
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Meng Li
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jodi N Young
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Betül Kaçar
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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33
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Rao YZ, Li YX, Li ZW, Qu YN, Qi YL, Jiao JY, Shu WS, Hua ZS, Li WJ. Metagenomic Discovery of " Candidatus Parvarchaeales"-Related Lineages Sheds Light on Adaptation and Diversification from Neutral-Thermal to Acidic-Mesothermal Environments. mSystems 2023; 8:e0125222. [PMID: 36943058 PMCID: PMC10134863 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01252-22] [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: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
"Candidatus Parvarchaeales" microbes, representing a DPANN archaeal group with limited metabolic potential and reliance on hosts for their growth, were initially found in acid mine drainage (AMD). Due to the lack of representatives, however, their ecological roles and adaptation to extreme habitats such as AMD as well as how they diverge across the lineage remain largely unexplored. By applying genome-resolved metagenomics, 28 Parvarchaeales-associated metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) representing two orders and five genera were recovered. Among them, we identified three new genera and proposed the names "Candidatus Jingweiarchaeum," "Candidatus Haiyanarchaeum," and "Candidatus Rehaiarchaeum," with the former two belonging to a new order, "Candidatus Jingweiarchaeales." Further analyses of the metabolic potentials revealed substantial niche differentiation between Jingweiarchaeales and Parvarchaeales. Jingweiarchaeales may rely on fermentation, salvage pathways, partial glycolysis, and the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) for energy conservation reservation, while the metabolic potentials of Parvarchaeales might be more versatile. Comparative genomic analyses suggested that Jingweiarchaeales favor habitats with higher temperatures and that Parvarchaeales are better adapted to acidic environments. We further revealed that the thermal adaptation of these lineages, especially Haiyanarchaeum, might rely on genomic features such as the usage of specific amino acids, genome streamlining, and hyperthermophile featured genes such as rgy. Notably, the adaptation of Parvarchaeales to acidic environments was possibly driven by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). The reconstruction of ancestral states demonstrated that both may have originated from thermal and neutral environments and later spread to mesothermal and acidic environments. These evolutionary processes may also be accompanied by adaptation to oxygen-rich environments via HGT. IMPORTANCE "Candidatus Parvarchaeales" microbes may represent a lineage uniquely distributed in extreme environments such as AMD and hot springs. However, little is known about the strategies and processes of how they adapted to these extreme environments. By the discovery of potential new order-level lineages, "Ca. Jingweiarchaeales," and in-depth comparative genomic analysis, we unveiled the functional differentiation of these lineages. Furthermore, we show that the adaptation of these lineages to high-temperature and acidic environments was driven by different strategies, with the former relying more on genomic characteristics such as genome streamlining and amino acid compositions and the latter relying more on the acquisition of genes associated with acid tolerance. Finally, by the reconstruction of the ancestral states of the optimal growth temperature (OGT) and isoelectric point (pI), we showed the potential evolutionary process of Parvarchaeales-related lineages with regard to the shift from the high-temperature environment of their common ancestors to low-temperature (potentially acidic) environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang-Zhi Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yu-Xian Li
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ze-Wei Li
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan-Ni Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan-Ling Qi
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jian-Yu Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wen-Sheng Shu
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zheng-Shuang Hua
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, People’s Republic of China
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Little JC, Kaaronen RO, Hukkinen JI, Xiao S, Sharpee T, Farid AM, Nilchiani R, Barton CM. Earth Systems to Anthropocene Systems: An Evolutionary, System-of-Systems, Convergence Paradigm for Interdependent Societal Challenges. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:5504-5520. [PMID: 37000909 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Humans have made profound changes to the Earth. The resulting societal challenges of the Anthropocene (e.g., climate change and impacts, renewable energy, adaptive infrastructure, disasters, pandemics, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss) are complex and systemic, with causes, interactions, and consequences that cascade across a globally connected system of systems. In this Critical Review, we turn to our "origin story" for insight, briefly tracing the formation of the Universe and the Earth, the emergence of life, the evolution of multicellular organisms, mammals, primates, and humans, as well as the more recent societal transitions involving agriculture, urbanization, industrialization, and computerization. Focusing on the evolution of the Earth, genetic evolution, the evolution of the brain, and cultural evolution, which includes technological evolution, we identify a nested evolutionary sequence of geophysical, biophysical, sociocultural, and sociotechnical systems, emphasizing the causal mechanisms that first formed, and then transformed, Earth systems into Anthropocene systems. Describing how the Anthropocene systems coevolved, and briefly illustrating how the ensuing societal challenges became tightly integrated across multiple spatial, temporal, and organizational scales, we conclude by proposing an evolutionary, system-of-systems, convergence paradigm for the entire family of interdependent societal challenges of the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Little
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Roope O Kaaronen
- Sustainability Research Unit, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Janne I Hukkinen
- Environmental Policy Research Group, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Shuhai Xiao
- Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Tatyana Sharpee
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Amro M Farid
- School of Systems and Enterprises, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, United States
| | - Roshanak Nilchiani
- School of Systems and Enterprises, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, United States
| | - C Michael Barton
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and School of Complex Adaptive Systems, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
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Wells M, Kim M, Akob DM, Basu P, Stolz JF. Impact of the Dimethyl Sulfoxide Reductase Superfamily on the Evolution of Biogeochemical Cycles. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0414522. [PMID: 36951557 PMCID: PMC10100899 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04145-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The dimethyl sulfoxide reductase (or MopB) family is a diverse assemblage of enzymes found throughout Bacteria and Archaea. Many of these enzymes are believed to have been present in the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) of all cellular lineages. However, gaps in knowledge remain about how MopB enzymes evolved and how this diversification of functions impacted global biogeochemical cycles through geologic time. In this study, we perform maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses on manually curated comparative genomic and metagenomic data sets containing over 47,000 distinct MopB homologs. We demonstrate that these enzymes constitute a catalytically and mechanistically diverse superfamily defined not by the molybdopterin- or tungstopterin-containing [molybdopterin or tungstopterin bis(pyranopterin guanine dinucleotide) (Mo/W-bisPGD)] cofactor but rather by the structural fold that binds it in the protein. Our results suggest that major metabolic innovations were the result of the loss of the metal cofactor or the gain or loss of protein domains. Phylogenetic analyses also demonstrated that formate oxidation and CO2 reduction were the ancestral functions of the superfamily, traits that have been vertically inherited from the LUCA. Nearly all of the other families, which drive all other biogeochemical cycles mediated by this superfamily, originated in the bacterial domain. Thus, organisms from Bacteria have been the key drivers of catalytic and biogeochemical innovations within the superfamily. The relative ordination of MopB families and their associated catalytic activities emphasize fundamental mechanisms of evolution in this superfamily. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of prokaryotic adaptability in response to the transition from an anoxic to an oxidized atmosphere. IMPORTANCE The MopB superfamily constitutes a repertoire of metalloenzymes that are central to enduring mysteries in microbiology, from the origin of life and how microorganisms and biogeochemical cycles have coevolved over deep time to how anaerobic life adapted to increasing concentrations of O2 during the transition from an anoxic to an oxic world. Our work emphasizes that phylogenetic analyses can reveal how domain gain or loss events, the acquisition of novel partner subunits, and the loss of metal cofactors can stimulate novel radiations of enzymes that dramatically increase the catalytic versatility of superfamilies. We also contend that the superfamily concept in protein evolution can uncover surprising kinships between enzymes that have remarkably different catalytic and physiological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Wells
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Minjae Kim
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Denise M. Akob
- United States Geological Survey, Geology, Energy, and Minerals Science Center, Reston, Virginia, USA
| | - Partha Basu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - John F. Stolz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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36
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Badger MR, Sharwood RE. Rubisco, the imperfect winner: it's all about the base. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:562-580. [PMID: 36412307 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Rubisco catalysis is complex and includes an activation step through the formation of a carbamate at the conserved active site lysine residue and the formation of a highly reactive enediol that is the key to its catalytic reaction. The formation of this enediol is both the basis of its success and its Achilles' heel, creating imperfections to its catalytic efficiency. While Rubisco originally evolved in an atmosphere of high CO2, the earth's multiple oxidation events provided challenges to Rubisco through the fixation of O2 that competes with CO2 at the active site. Numerous catalytic screens across the Rubisco superfamily have identified significant variation in catalytic properties that have been linked to large and small subunit sequences. Despite this, we still have a rudimentary understanding of Rubisco's catalytic mechanism and how the evolution of kinetic properties has occurred. This review identifies the lysine base that functions both as an activator and a proton abstractor to create the enediol as a key to understanding how Rubisco may optimize its kinetic properties. The ways in which Rubisco and its partners have overcome catalytic and activation imperfections and thrived in a world of high O2, low CO2, and variable climatic regimes is remarkable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murray R Badger
- Research School of Biology, Building 134 Linnaeus Way, Canberra ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Robert E Sharwood
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Bourke St, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
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Soo TCC, Bhassu S. Signature selection forces and evolutionary divergence of immune-survival genes compared between two important shrimp species. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280250. [PMID: 36634148 PMCID: PMC9836293 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, shrimp aquaculture industry had grown significantly to become the major source of global shrimp production. Despite that, shrimp aquaculture production was impeded by various shrimp diseases over the past decades. Interestingly, different shrimp species demonstrated variable levels of immune strength and survival (immune-survival) ability towards different diseases, especially the much stronger immune-survival ability shown by the ancient shrimp species, Macrobrachium rosenbergii compared to other shrimp species. In this study, two important shrimp species, M. rosenbergii and Penaeus monodon (disease tolerant strain) (uninfected control and VpAHPND-infected) were compared to uncover the potential underlying genetic factors. The shrimp species were sampled, followed by RNA extraction and cDNA conversion. Five important immune-survival genes (C-type Lectin, HMGB, STAT, ALF3, and ATPase 8/6) were selected for PCR, sequencing, and subsequent genetics analysis. The overall genetic analyses conducted, including Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) and population differentiation, showed significant genetic differentiation (p<0.05) between different genes of M. rosenbergii and P. monodon. There was greater genetic divergence identified between HMGB subgroups of P. monodon (uninfected control and VpAHPND-infected) compared to other genes. Besides that, based on neutrality tests conducted, purifying selection was determined to be the main evolutionary driving force of M. rosenbergii and P. monodon with stronger purifying selection exhibited in M. rosenbergii genes. Potential balancing selection was identified for VpAHPND-infected HMGB subgroup whereas directional selection was detected for HMGB (both species) and ATPase 8/6 (only P. monodon) genes. The divergence times between M. rosenbergii and P. monodon genes were estimated through Bayesian molecular clock analysis, which were 438.6 mya (C-type Lectin), 1885.4 mya (HMGB), 432.6 mya (STAT), 448.1 mya (ALF3), and 426.4 mya (ATPase 8/6) respectively. In conclusion, important selection forces and evolutionary divergence information of immune-survival genes between M. rosenbergii and P. monodon were successfully identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tze Chiew Christie Soo
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Animal Genetics and Genome Evolutionary Laboratory (AGAGEL), Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Subha Bhassu
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Animal Genetics and Genome Evolutionary Laboratory (AGAGEL), Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Terra Aqua Laboratory, Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture (CEBAR), Research Management and Innovation Complex, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- * E-mail:
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Mayneris-Perxachs J, Moreno-Navarrete JM, Fernández-Real JM. The role of iron in host-microbiota crosstalk and its effects on systemic glucose metabolism. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2022; 18:683-698. [PMID: 35986176 DOI: 10.1038/s41574-022-00721-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Iron is critical for the appearance and maintenance of life on Earth. Almost all organisms compete or cooperate for iron acquisition, demonstrating the importance of this essential element for the biological and physiological processes that are key for the preservation of metabolic homeostasis. In humans and other mammals, the bidirectional interactions between the bacterial component of the gut microbiota and the host for iron acquisition shape both host and microbiota metabolism. Bacterial functions influence host iron absorption, whereas the intake of iron, iron deficiency and iron excess in the host affect bacterial biodiversity, taxonomy and function, resulting in changes in bacterial virulence. These consequences of the host-microbial crosstalk affect systemic levels of iron, its storage in different tissues and host glucose metabolism. At the interface between the host and the microbiota, alterations in the host innate immune system and in circulating soluble factors that regulate iron (that is, hepcidin, lipocalin 2 and lactoferrin) are associated with metabolic disease. In fact, patients with obesity-associated metabolic dysfunction and insulin resistance exhibit dysregulation in iron homeostasis and alterations in their gut microbiota profile. From an evolutionary point of view, the pursuit of two important nutrients - glucose and iron - has probably driven human evolution towards the most efficient pathways and genes for human survival and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Mayneris-Perxachs
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - José María Moreno-Navarrete
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Manuel Fernández-Real
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain.
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Medicine, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain.
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Huang B, Johnson TE, Wilde SA, Polat A, Fu D, Kusky T. Coexisting divergent and convergent plate boundary assemblages indicate plate tectonics in the Neoarchean. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6450. [PMID: 36307406 PMCID: PMC9616927 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34214-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The coexistence of divergent (spreading ridge) and convergent (subduction zone) plate boundaries at which lithosphere is respectively generated and destroyed is the hallmark of plate tectonics. Here, we document temporally- and spatially-associated Neoarchean (2.55-2.51 Ga) rock assemblages with mid-ocean ridge and supra-subduction-zone origins from the Angou Complex, southern North China Craton. These assemblages record seafloor spreading and contemporaneous subduction initiation and mature arc magmatism, respectively, analogous to modern divergent and convergent plate boundary processes. Our results provide direct evidence for lateral plate motions in the late Neoarchean, and arguably the operation of plate tectonics, albeit with warmer than average Phanerozoic subduction geotherms. Further, we surmise that plate tectonic processes played an important role in shaping Earth's surficial environments during the Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Huang
- Badong National Observation and Research Station for Geohazards, State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
| | - Tim E Johnson
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Institute for Geoscience Research, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Simon A Wilde
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Institute for Geoscience Research, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Ali Polat
- School of the Environment, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Dong Fu
- Badong National Observation and Research Station for Geohazards, State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Timothy Kusky
- Badong National Observation and Research Station for Geohazards, State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
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40
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Reconstructing Earth's atmospheric oxygenation history using machine learning. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5862. [PMID: 36195593 PMCID: PMC9532422 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33388-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Reconstructing historical atmospheric oxygen (O2) levels at finer temporal resolution is a top priority for exploring the evolution of life on Earth. This goal, however, is challenged by gaps in traditionally employed sediment-hosted geochemical proxy data. Here, we propose an independent strategy-machine learning with global mafic igneous geochemistry big data to explore atmospheric oxygenation over the last 4.0 billion years. We observe an overall two-step rise of atmospheric O2 similar to the published curves derived from independent sediment-hosted paleo-oxybarometers but with a more detailed fabric of O2 fluctuations superimposed. These additional, shorter-term fluctuations are also consistent with previous but less well-established suggestions of O2 variability. We conclude from this agreement that Earth's oxygenated atmosphere may therefore be at least partly a natural consequence of mantle cooling and specifically that evolving mantle melts collectively have helped modulate the balance of early O2 sources and sinks.
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41
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Gonzalez A, Quintela F, Leon DA, Bringas-Vega ML, Valdes-Sosa PA. Estimating the number of available states for normal and tumor tissues in gene expression space. BIOPHYSICAL REPORTS 2022; 2:100053. [PMID: 36425772 PMCID: PMC9680729 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpr.2022.100053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The topology of gene expression space for a set of 12 cancer types is studied by means of an entropy-like magnitude, which measures the volumes of the regions occupied by tumor and normal samples, i.e., the number of available states (genotypes) that can be classified as tumor-like or normal-like, respectively. Computations show that the number of available states is much greater for tumors than for normal tissues, suggesting the irreversibility of the progression to the tumor phase. The entropy is nearly constant for tumors, whereas it exhibits a higher variability in normal tissues, probably due to tissue differentiation. In addition, we show an interesting correlation between the fraction (tumor/normal) of available states and the overlap between the tumor and normal sample clouds, interpreted as a way of reducing the decay rate to the tumor phase in more ordered or structured tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augusto Gonzalez
- The Clinical Hospital Chengdu Brain Sciences Institute, University of Electronic Sciences and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu, People Republic of China
- Institute of Cybernetics, Mathematics and Physics, Havana, Cuba
| | - Frank Quintela
- Institute of Cybernetics, Mathematics and Physics, Havana, Cuba
- University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Dario A. Leon
- Institute of Cybernetics, Mathematics and Physics, Havana, Cuba
- S3 Centre, Istituto Nanoscienze, CNR, Modena, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Bringas-Vega
- The Clinical Hospital Chengdu Brain Sciences Institute, University of Electronic Sciences and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu, People Republic of China
- Cuban Neurosciences Center, Havana, Cuba
| | - Pedro A. Valdes-Sosa
- The Clinical Hospital Chengdu Brain Sciences Institute, University of Electronic Sciences and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu, People Republic of China
- Cuban Neurosciences Center, Havana, Cuba
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42
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Goswami P, He K, Li J, Pan Y, Roberts AP, Lin W. Magnetotactic bacteria and magnetofossils: ecology, evolution and environmental implications. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2022; 8:43. [PMID: 35650214 PMCID: PMC9160268 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-022-00304-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are a group of phylogenetically diverse and morphologically varied microorganisms with a magnetoresponsive capability called magnetotaxis or microbial magnetoreception. MTB are a distinctive constituent of the microbiome of aquatic ecosystems because they use Earth's magnetic field to align themselves in a north or south facing direction and efficiently navigate to their favored microenvironments. They have been identified worldwide from diverse aquatic and waterlogged microbiomes, including freshwater, saline, brackish and marine ecosystems, and some extreme environments. MTB play important roles in the biogeochemical cycling of iron, sulphur, phosphorus, carbon and nitrogen in nature and have been recognized from in vitro cultures to sequester heavy metals like selenium, cadmium, and tellurium, which makes them prospective candidate organisms for aquatic pollution bioremediation. The role of MTB in environmental systems is not limited to their lifespan; after death, fossil magnetosomal magnetic nanoparticles (known as magnetofossils) are a promising proxy for recording paleoenvironmental change and geomagnetic field history. Here, we summarize the ecology, evolution, and environmental function of MTB and the paleoenvironmental implications of magnetofossils in light of recent discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranami Goswami
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China
- France-China Joint Laboratory for Evolution and Development of Magnetotactic Multicellular Organisms, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, ACT, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Kuang He
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China
- France-China Joint Laboratory for Evolution and Development of Magnetotactic Multicellular Organisms, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Key Laboratory of Submarine Geosciences and Prospecting Techniques, MoE and College of Marine Geosciences, Ocean University of China, 266100, Qingdao, China
| | - Jinhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China
- France-China Joint Laboratory for Evolution and Development of Magnetotactic Multicellular Organisms, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China
| | - Yongxin Pan
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China
- France-China Joint Laboratory for Evolution and Development of Magnetotactic Multicellular Organisms, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Andrew P Roberts
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, ACT, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Wei Lin
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China.
- France-China Joint Laboratory for Evolution and Development of Magnetotactic Multicellular Organisms, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China.
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Abstract
Earth's earliest fossils of complex macroscopic life are recorded in Ediacaran-aged siliciclastic deposits as exceptionally well-preserved three-dimensional casts and molds, known as "Ediacara-style" preservation. Ediacara-style fossil assemblages commonly include both macrofossils of the enigmatic Ediacara Biota and associated textural impressions attributed to microbial matgrounds that were integral to the ecology of Ediacara communities. Here, we use an experimental approach to interrogate to what extent the presence of mat-forming microorganisms was likewise critical to the Ediacara-style fossilization of these soft-bodied organisms. We find evidence that biofilms can play an instrumental role in fostering fossilization. Rapid silica precipitation associated with macroorganism tissues is enhanced in the presence of mat- and biofilm-forming microorganisms. These results indicate that the occurrence of microbial mats and biofilms may have strongly shaped the preservational window for Ediacara-style fossils associated with early diagenetic silica cements, and therefore influenced the distribution and palaeoecological interpretation of the Ediacara Biota fossil record.
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Gözen I, Köksal ES, Põldsalu I, Xue L, Spustova K, Pedrueza-Villalmanzo E, Ryskulov R, Meng F, Jesorka A. Protocells: Milestones and Recent Advances. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2106624. [PMID: 35322554 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202106624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The origin of life is still one of humankind's great mysteries. At the transition between nonliving and living matter, protocells, initially featureless aggregates of abiotic matter, gain the structure and functions necessary to fulfill the criteria of life. Research addressing protocells as a central element in this transition is diverse and increasingly interdisciplinary. The authors review current protocell concepts and research directions, address milestones, challenges and existing hypotheses in the context of conditions on the early Earth, and provide a concise overview of current protocell research methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irep Gözen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Elif Senem Köksal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Inga Põldsalu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Lin Xue
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Karolina Spustova
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Esteban Pedrueza-Villalmanzo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
- Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Universitetsplatsen 1, Gothenburg, 40530, Sweden
| | - Ruslan Ryskulov
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
| | - Fanda Meng
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
- School of Basic Medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250000, China
| | - Aldo Jesorka
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
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45
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Eukaryogenesis and oxygen in Earth history. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:520-532. [PMID: 35449457 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01733-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The endosymbiotic origin of mitochondria during eukaryogenesis has long been viewed as an adaptive response to the oxygenation of Earth's surface environment, presuming a fundamentally aerobic lifestyle for the free-living bacterial ancestors of mitochondria. This oxygen-centric view has been robustly challenged by recent advances in the Earth and life sciences. While the permanent oxygenation of the atmosphere above trace concentrations is now thought to have occurred 2.2 billion years ago, large parts of the deep ocean remained anoxic until less than 0.5 billion years ago. Neither fossils nor molecular clocks correlate the origin of mitochondria, or eukaryogenesis more broadly, to either of these planetary redox transitions. Instead, mitochondria-bearing eukaryotes are consistently dated to between these two oxygenation events, during an interval of pervasive deep-sea anoxia and variable surface-water oxygenation. The discovery and cultivation of the Asgard archaea has reinforced metabolic evidence that eukaryogenesis was initially mediated by syntrophic H2 exchange between an archaeal host and an α-proteobacterial symbiont living under anoxia. Together, these results temporally, spatially and metabolically decouple the earliest stages of eukaryogenesis from the oxygen content of the surface ocean and atmosphere. Rather than reflecting the ancestral metabolic state, obligate aerobiosis in eukaryotes is most probably derived, having only become globally widespread over the past 1 billion years as atmospheric oxygen approached modern levels.
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Stüeken EE, Viehmann S, Hohl SV. Contrasting nutrient availability between marine and brackish waters in the late Mesoproterozoic: Evidence from the Paranoá Group, Brazil. GEOBIOLOGY 2022; 20:159-174. [PMID: 34661335 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the delayed rise of eukaryotic life on Earth is one of the most fundamental questions about biological evolution. Numerous studies have presented evidence for oxygen and nutrient limitations in seawater during the Mesoproterozoic era, indicating that open marine settings may not have been able to sustain a eukaryotic biosphere with complex, multicellular organisms. However, many of these data sets represent restricted marine basins, which may bias our view of habitability. Furthermore, it remains untested whether rivers could have supplied significant nutrient fluxes to coastal habitats. To better characterize the sources of the major nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus, we turned to the late Mesoproterozoic Paranoá Group in Brazil (~1.1 Ga), which was deposited on a passive margin of the São Francisco craton. We present carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotope data from an open shelf setting (Fazenda Funil) and from a brackish-water environment with significant riverine input (São Gabriel). Our results show that waters were well-oxygenated and nitrate was bioavailable in the open ocean setting at Fazenda Funil; the redoxcline appears to have been deeper and further offshore compared to restricted marine basins elsewhere in the Mesoproterozoic. In contrast, the brackish site at São Gabriel received only limited input of marine nitrate and sulphate. Nevertheless, previous reports of acritarchs reveal that this brackish-water setting was habitable to eukaryotic life. Paired with previously published cadmium isotope data, which can be used as a proxy for phosphorus cycling, our results suggest that complex organisms were perhaps not strictly dependent on marine nutrient supplies. Riverine influxes of P and possibly other nutrients likely rendered coastal waters perhaps equally habitable to the Mesoproterozoic open ocean. This conclusion supports the notion that eukaryotic organisms may have thrived in brackish or perhaps even freshwater environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva E Stüeken
- School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Sebastian Viehmann
- Department of Geology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Lithospheric Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Simon V Hohl
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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Wolf D, Muralidharan A, Mohan S. Role of prolyl hydroxylase domain proteins in bone metabolism. Osteoporos Sarcopenia 2022; 8:1-10. [PMID: 35415275 PMCID: PMC8987327 DOI: 10.1016/j.afos.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular metabolism requires dissolved oxygen gas. Because evolutionary refinements have constrained mammalian dissolved oxygen levels, intracellular oxygen sensors are vital for optimizing the bioenergetic and biosynthetic use of dissolved oxygen. Prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD) homologs 1-3 (PHD1/2/3) are molecular oxygen dependent non-heme dioxygenases whose enzymatic activity is regulated by the concentration of dissolved oxygen. PHD oxygen dependency has evolved into an important intracellular oxygen sensor. The most well studied mechanism of PHD oxygen-sensing is its regulation of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) hypoxia signaling pathway. Heterodimeric HIF transcription factor activity is regulated post-translationally by selective PHD proline hydroxylation of its HIF1α subunit, accelerating HIF1α ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation, preventing HIF heterodimer assembly, nuclear accumulation, and activation of its target oxygen homeostasis genes. Phd2 has been shown to be the key isoform responsible for HIF1α subunit regulation in many cell types and accordingly disruption of the Phd2 gene results in embryonic lethality. In bone cells Phd2 is expressed in high abundance and tightly regulated. Conditional disruption of the Phd1, Phd2 and/or Phd3 gene in various bone cell types using different Cre drivers reveals a major role for PHD2 in skeletal growth and development. In this review, we will summarize the state of current knowledge on the role and mechanism of action of PHD2 as oxygen sensor in regulating bone metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Wolf
- Musculoskeletal Disease Center, VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA, 92357, USA
| | - Aruljothi Muralidharan
- Musculoskeletal Disease Center, VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA, 92357, USA
| | - Subburaman Mohan
- Musculoskeletal Disease Center, VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA, 92357, USA
- Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, 92354, USA
- Department Biochemistry and Orthopedic Surgery, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, 92354, USA
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Toyokuni S, Kong Y, Zheng H, Mi D, Katabuchi M, Motooka Y, Ito F. Double-edged Sword Role of Iron-loaded Ferritin in Extracellular Vesicles. J Cancer Prev 2021; 26:244-249. [PMID: 35047450 PMCID: PMC8749322 DOI: 10.15430/jcp.2021.26.4.244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human epidemiological and animal studies have demonstrated that excess iron is a risk for cancer. The responsible mechanisms are: 1) increased intracellular iron catalyzes the Fenton reaction to generate hydroxyl radicals, leading to mutagenic oxidative DNA lesions; 2) iron is necessary for cellular proliferation as cofactors of many enzymes. Thus, iron-excess milieu promotes selecting cellular evolution to ferroptosis-resistance, a major basis for carcinogenesis. Ferritin is a 24-subunit nanocage protein required for iron storage under the regulation of the iron-regulatory protein (IRP)/iron-responsive element (IRE) system. Ferritin is a serum marker, representing total body iron storage. However, how ferritin is secreted extracellularly has been unelucidated. We recently discovered that an exosomal marker CD63 is regulated by the IRP/IRE system and that iron-loaded ferritin is secreted as extracellular vesicles under the guidance of nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4). On the other hand, we found that macrophages under asbestos-induced ferroptosis emit ferroptosis-dependent extracellular vesicles (FedEVs), which are received by nearby mesothelial cells, resulting in significant mutagenic DNA damage. Therefore, cells, including macrophages, can share excess iron with other cells, via iron-loaded ferritin packaged in extracellular vesicles as safe non-catalytic iron. However, similar process, such as one involving FedEVs, may cause accumulation of excess iron in other specific cells, which may eventually promote carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinya Toyokuni
- Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Center for Low-temperature Plasma Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yingyi Kong
- Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hao Zheng
- Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Danyang Mi
- Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Misako Katabuchi
- Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yashiro Motooka
- Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Fumiya Ito
- Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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Abstract
Iron is an irreplaceable component of proteins and enzyme systems required for life. This need for iron is a well-characterized evolutionary mechanism for genetic selection. However, there is limited consideration of how iron bioavailability, initially determined by planetary accretion but fluctuating considerably at global scale over geological time frames, has shaped the biosphere. We describe influences of iron on planetary habitability from formation events >4 Gya and initiation of biochemistry from geochemistry through oxygenation of the atmosphere to current host–pathogen dynamics. By determining the iron and transition element distribution within the terrestrial planets, planetary core formation is a constraint on both the crustal composition and the longevity of surface water, hence a planet’s habitability. As such, stellar compositions, combined with metallic core-mass fraction, may be an observable characteristic of exoplanets that relates to their ability to support life. On Earth, the stepwise rise of atmospheric oxygen effectively removed gigatons of soluble ferrous iron from habitats, generating evolutionary pressures. Phagocytic, infectious, and symbiotic behaviors, dating from around the Great Oxygenation Event, refocused iron acquisition onto biotic sources, while eukaryotic multicellularity allows iron recycling within an organism. These developments allow life to more efficiently utilize a scarce but vital nutrient. Initiation of terrestrial life benefitted from the biochemical properties of abundant mantle/crustal iron, but the subsequent loss of iron bioavailability may have been an equally important driver of compensatory diversity. This latter concept may have relevance for the predicted future increase in iron deficiency across the food chain caused by elevated atmospheric CO2.
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