Genomic analysis finds no evidence of canonical eukaryotic DNA processing complexes in a free-living protist

Dayana E. Salas-Leiva (), Eelco C. Tromer, Bruce A. Curtis, Jon Jerlström-Hultqvist, Martin Kolisko, Zhenzhen Yi, Joan S. Salas-Leiva, Lucie Gallot-Lavallée, Shelby K. Williams, Geert J. P. L. Kops, John M. Archibald, Alastair G. B. Simpson and Andrew J. Roger ()
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Dayana E. Salas-Leiva: Dalhousie University
Eelco C. Tromer: University of Cambridge
Bruce A. Curtis: Dalhousie University
Jon Jerlström-Hultqvist: Dalhousie University
Martin Kolisko: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Acad. Sci
Zhenzhen Yi: South China Normal University
Joan S. Salas-Leiva: Complejo Industrial Chihuahua
Lucie Gallot-Lavallée: Dalhousie University
Shelby K. Williams: Dalhousie University
Geert J. P. L. Kops: Hubrecht Institute – KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Centre Utrecht
John M. Archibald: Dalhousie University
Alastair G. B. Simpson: Dalhousie University
Andrew J. Roger: Dalhousie University

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Cells replicate and segregate their DNA with precision. Previous studies showed that these regulated cell-cycle processes were present in the last eukaryotic common ancestor and that their core molecular parts are conserved across eukaryotes. However, some metamonad parasites have secondarily lost components of the DNA processing and segregation apparatuses. To clarify the evolutionary history of these systems in these unusual eukaryotes, we generated a genome assembly for the free-living metamonad Carpediemonas membranifera and carried out a comparative genomics analysis. Here, we show that parasitic and free-living metamonads harbor an incomplete set of proteins for processing and segregating DNA. Unexpectedly, Carpediemonas species are further streamlined, lacking the origin recognition complex, Cdc6 and most structural kinetochore subunits. Carpediemonas species are thus the first known eukaryotes that appear to lack this suite of conserved complexes, suggesting that they likely rely on yet-to-be-discovered or alternative mechanisms to carry out these fundamental processes.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26077-2

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