Complex archaea that bridge the gap between prokaryotes and eukaryotes

Anja Spang, Jimmy H. Saw, Steffen L. Jørgensen, Katarzyna Zaremba-Niedzwiedzka, Joran Martijn, Anders E. Lind, Roel van Eijk, Christa Schleper, Lionel Guy () and Thijs J. G. Ettema ()
Additional contact information
Anja Spang: Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University
Jimmy H. Saw: Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University
Steffen L. Jørgensen: Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen
Katarzyna Zaremba-Niedzwiedzka: Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University
Joran Martijn: Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University
Anders E. Lind: Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University
Roel van Eijk: Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University
Christa Schleper: Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen
Lionel Guy: Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University
Thijs J. G. Ettema: Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University

Nature, 2015, vol. 521, issue 7551, 173-179

Abstract: Abstract The origin of the eukaryotic cell remains one of the most contentious puzzles in modern biology. Recent studies have provided support for the emergence of the eukaryotic host cell from within the archaeal domain of life, but the identity and nature of the putative archaeal ancestor remain a subject of debate. Here we describe the discovery of ‘Lokiarchaeota’, a novel candidate archaeal phylum, which forms a monophyletic group with eukaryotes in phylogenomic analyses, and whose genomes encode an expanded repertoire of eukaryotic signature proteins that are suggestive of sophisticated membrane remodelling capabilities. Our results provide strong support for hypotheses in which the eukaryotic host evolved from a bona fide archaeon, and demonstrate that many components that underpin eukaryote-specific features were already present in that ancestor. This provided the host with a rich genomic ‘starter-kit’ to support the increase in the cellular and genomic complexity that is characteristic of eukaryotes.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1038/nature14447

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