Review
Biology
Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, David Moreira
Summary: Eukaryogenesis is a significant evolutionary transition that resulted in the evolution of complex cells from simpler ancestors. Recent discoveries suggest that the evolution of eukaryotes is likely due to a symbiotic relationship between an Asgard-like archaeon and one or more bacteria, challenging the previously accepted scenario.
COMPTES RENDUS BIOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julian Vosseberg, Daan Stolker, Samuel H. A. von der Dunk, Berend Snel
Summary: This study uses phylogenetic analyses to infer the evolutionary history of 145 proteins in the spliceosome. The results show that an abundance of ribosome-related proteins were added to the prokaryotic-derived core, and duplications of these proteins increased the overall complexity of the spliceosome. Most of the spliceosomal complexity originated after the spread of introns in the proto-eukaryotic genome. The reconstruction of early spliceosomal evolution provides insights into the emergence of complexes with many proteins during eukaryogenesis.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Patricia M. Di Lorenzo
Summary: In vivo two photon calcium imaging in the gustatory cortex of alert mice shows that taste-responsive cells can vary in their breadth of tuning across taste qualities and are sparse and spatially distributed across the cortex.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. Renee Bellinger, Jiandong Wei, Uwe Hartmann, Herve Cadiou, Michael Winklhofer, Michael A. Banks
Summary: This study reveals that salmonid olfactory epithelium contains magnetite crystals, indicating a shared evolutionary history of magnetoreception between eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Additionally, prokaryote biomineralization genes were found to be present in diverse eukaryote taxa, including the archaea Lokiarch-aeota, suggesting their potential role in eukaryogenesis.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eric Libby, Christopher P. Kempes, Jordan G. Okie
Summary: The evolution of mitochondria was a significant event that led to the emergence of eukaryotic lineage and complex life forms. Although prokaryotic endosymbiosis has potential benefits, it is exceptionally rare in modern times. This study examines the metabolic compatibility between a prokaryotic host and endosymbiont and finds that while many pairings are metabolically viable, the resulting endosymbioses have reduced growth rates and are unlikely to overcome these fitness differences through mutation. However, they may be more robust in the face of environmental perturbations compared to ancestral host metabolism lineages.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eric Hugoson, Andrei Guliaev, Tea Ammunet, Lionel Guy
Summary: Bacteria adapting to living in a host cell had significant impact on the evolution of eukaryotes. The Legionellales, a bacterial order containing Coxiella and Legionella, may hold the key to understanding these events. Analysis of 35 Legionellales genomes revealed that this group is more diverse than previously thought, and key host-adaptation events occurred early in its evolution.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marketa Petru, Vit Dohnalek, Zoltan Fussy, Pavel Dolezal
Summary: The formation of mitochondria by converting a bacterial endosymbiont was crucial in the evolution of eukaryotes. Evolutionary fates of prokaryotic inner membrane translocases Sec, Tat, and YidC in mitochondria differ, with YidC homolog being an omnipresent insertase, while Sec and Tat homologs are sporadically present. Comparisons of ancestral mitochondrial proteins with their paralogs in plastids and the endomembrane system are also made in this review.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Leslie A. A. Day, Elisa L. L. Kelsey, Dallas R. R. Fonseca, Kyle C. C. Costa
Summary: The complete remineralization of organic matter in anoxic environments relies on communities of microorganisms. This study highlights the importance of formate exchange in these communities.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lijie Zhang, Michael Philben, Neslihan Tas, Alexander Johs, Ziming Yang, Stan D. Wullschleger, David E. Graham, Eric M. Pierce, Baohua Gu
Summary: The research investigates the main microbial methylators responsible for MeHg production in tundra soils, finding that sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methanogens play key roles in Hg(II) methylation, depending on the availability of sulfate and potential syntrophic metabolisms between them. The study highlights the importance of understanding biogeochemical drivers of MeHg production in Arctic tundra soils to address potential threats to the ecosystem.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Victory Fiifi Dsane, Haejun Jeon, Yuri Choi, Younggyun Choi
Summary: The cultivation of anaerobic ammonia oxidizing bacteria (anammox) has attracted considerable attention in recent decades. However, the success rates of growing anammox in different enrichment environments are comparable to the failure rates. This study investigates the performance decline of a lab-scale anammox-sequencing batch reactor (SBR) under elevated influent substrate concentration, using various measurement techniques.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gareth S. A. Wright
Summary: The internalization of a bacteria by an archaeal cell accelerated eukaryotic evolution by utilizing a specific copper chaperone to activate CuZnSOD for combating oxidative stress. The adoption of a single protein interface with structural characteristics necessary for homodimerization and heterodimerization played a crucial role in evolution.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Review
Biology
Parth K. Raval, Sriram G. Garg, Sven B. Gould
Summary: The dichotomy between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells is significant. The transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes is not well understood, and the role of endosymbiotic organelles in this process has been questioned. Recent findings on asgard archaea have sparked discussions on the complexity of the common ancestor of eukaryotes. This review explores different models that propose either isolated events in asgard archaeal evolution or the role of endosymbiosis in the development of eukaryotic traits.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yosuke Hoshino, Eric A. Gaucher
Summary: Steroids play essential roles in eukaryotic endocytosis by regulating membrane properties. The evolution of eukaryotic cellular membranes is more related to bacteria rather than archaea. The transfer of key genes for steroid biosynthesis to eukaryotes may have been mediated by deltaproteobacteria. Resurrected steroid biosynthesis enzymes suggest similarities in the pathway between early eukaryotes and modern plants, with the requirement of molecular oxygen for establishing the modern eukaryotic cellular membrane.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Liu Cao, Chris D. Cox, Qiang He
Summary: This study identified the important role of Syntrophobacter in syntrophic propionate conversion, while the methanogen partners lacked consistency. Propionate conversion was mainly achieved through the transformation of propionate into acetate and hydrogen.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alessio Malacrida, Guido Cavaletti, Mariarosaria Miloso
Summary: This study investigated the mechanism of action of Rigosertib on cholangiocarcinoma cells EGI-1 using Western blotting technique. The results showed an increase in EMI1 and Cyclin B protein levels and a significant reduction in CDK1 phosphorylation after Rigosertib treatment. The expression of PLK1 increased after 24 hours of treatment and decreased after 48 hours. Additionally, p53 levels increased and its activity was found to be necessary for the effects of Rigosertib on cell viability in EGI-1 cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Sergey A. Karpov, David Moreira, Maria A. Mamkaeva, Olga V. Popova, Vladimir V. Aleoshin, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia
JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Nina Zeyen, Karim Benzerara, Nicolas Menguy, Jessica Brest, Alexis S. Templeton, Samuel M. Webb, Emmanuelle Gerard, David Moreira, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, Rosaluz Tavera, Guillaume Morin
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2019)
Review
Plant Sciences
Rafael Ponce-Toledo, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, David Moreira
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guillaume Reboul, David Moreira, Paola Bertolino, Alexandra Maria Hillebrand-Voiculescu, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS
(2019)
Article
Biology
Luis Javier Galindo, Guifre Torruella, David Moreira, Yana Eglit, Alastair G. B. Simpson, Eckhard Volcker, Steffen Clauss, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2019)
Article
Microbiology
Gwendoline M. David, David Moreira, Guillaume Reboul, Nataliia V. Annenkova, Luis J. Galindo, Paola Bertolino, Ana I. Lopez-Archilla, Ludwig Jardillier, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia
Summary: Researchers studied planktonic microbial eukaryotic communities in Lake Baikal at different depths and latitudes, finding that depth had a significant effect on protist community stratification, while the influence of latitude gradient was marginal. Epipelagic communities were more interconnected than those in the dark water column, showing specific biotic interactions among different nutritional modes of microorganisms.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, David Moreira
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Nina Zeyen, Karim Benzerara, Olivier Beyssac, Damien Daval, Elodie Muller, Christophe Thomazo, Rosaluz Tavera, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, David Moreira, Elodie Duprat
Summary: The study measured the chemical and mineralogical composition of microbialites from ten Mexican lakes, revealing a diverse mineralogical composition and positive correlations between microbialite size and parameters such as salinity. There were significant variations in trace element compositions of the microbialites between the lakes, with detrital contamination affecting their rare earth elements (REE) + Y patterns.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Guillaume Reboul, David Moreira, Nataliia V. Annenkova, Paola Bertolino, Konstantin E. Vershinin, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia
Summary: Lake Baikal is the deepest and most voluminous freshwater reservoir on Earth, with benthic microbial communities showing high richness and evenness. These communities include typically marine species and are relatively stable across sites, not influenced by depth or latitude. Comparative analyses with other sediment communities confirmed the distinctiveness of Baikal benthos.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David Moreira, Yvan Zivanovic, Ana I. Lopez-Archilla, Miguel Iniesto, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia
Summary: The Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR) is a large group of bacterial lineages with small cell sizes and limited biosynthetic capabilities, where parasitism is a common lifestyle. The study of Vampirococcus lugosii, an epibiotic parasite of other bacteria, revealed that it feeds on anoxygenic photosynthetic gammaproteobacteria, divides epibiotically, and has a genome reduced in biosynthetic metabolism genes but enriched in genes possibly involved in interactions with the host.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luis Javier Galindo, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, Guifre Torruella, Sergey Karpov, David Moreira
Summary: The study delves into two atypical parasitic fungi with amoeboid zoospores and long kinetosomes, proposing a new phylum, Sanchytriomycota, based on their distinct phylogenetic position and unique traits. Comparative genomic analyses reveal a reduced metabolic repertoire for the sanchytrids and infer three independent flagellum losses. The research also highlights that most of the hyphal morphogenesis gene repertoire of multicellular fungi had already evolved in early holomycotan lineages.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Fabian van Beveren, Laura Eme, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, Maria Ciobanu, David Moreira
Summary: This study investigates the genome size expansion in red algal mitochondria and plastids. By analyzing the mitochondrial and plastid genomes of 25 red algal species, the researchers show that genome expansions are common in the highly diverse group Proteorhodophytina. The results reveal different evolutionary dynamics of organellar genomes across red algal lineages and provide strong support for the monophyly of Proteorhodophytina.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Luis Javier Galindo, Guifre Torruella, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, Maria Ciobanu, Ana Gutierrez-Preciado, Sergey A. Karpov, David Moreira
Summary: The supergroup Holomycota, consisting of Fungi and other related unicellular organisms, plays a major role in the phylogeny of eukaryotes. Recent studies suggest that the poorly known group of endobiotic phagotrophic protists known as aphelids may be closely related to fungi. This finding has significant implications for understanding the early evolution of Holomycota and the origin of fungi.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Miguel Iniesto, David Moreira, Karim Benzerara, Guillaume Reboul, Paola Bertolino, Rosaluz Tavera, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia
Summary: This study characterized microbial communities in different lakes in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt using a space-for-time substitution approach. The results showed that salinity was the primary driver of microbial community structure, and climate change and anthropogenic-induced hydric deficit could significantly impact microbial communities.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2022)
