Understanding the origin of eukaryotic cells is one of the most difficult problems in all of biology. A key challenge relevant to the question of eukaryogenesis is reconstructing the gene repertoire of the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA). As data sets grow, sketching an accurate genomics-informed picture of early eukaryotic cellular complexity requires provision of analytical resources and a commitment to data sharing. Here, we summarise progress towards understanding the biology of LECA and outline a community approach to inferring its wider gene repertoire. Once assembled, a robust LECA gene set will be a useful tool for evaluating alternative hypotheses about the origin of eukaryotes and understanding the evolution of traits in all descendant lineages, with relevance in diverse fields such as cell biology, microbial ecology, biotechnology, agriculture, and medicine. In this Consensus View, we put forth the status quo and an agreed path forward to reconstruct LECA's gene content.
Whole genome duplication (WGD) can promote adaptation but is disruptive to conserved processes, especially meiosis. Studies in Arabidopsis arenosa revealed a coordinated evolutionary response to WGD involving interacting proteins controlling meiotic crossovers, which are minimized in an autotetraploid (within-species polyploid) to avoid missegregation. Here, we test whether this surprising flexibility of a conserved essential process, meiosis, is recapitulated in an independent WGD system, Cardamine amara, 17 My diverged from A. arenosa. We assess meiotic stability and perform population-based scans for positive selection, contrasting the genomic response to WGD in C. amara with that of A. arenosa. We found in C. amara the strongest selection signals at genes with predicted functions thought important to adaptation to WGD: meiosis, chromosome remodeling, cell cycle, and ion transport. However, genomic responses to WGD in the two species differ: minimal ortholog-level convergence emerged, with none of the meiosis genes found in A. arenosa exhibiting strong signal in C. amara. This is consistent with our observations of lower meiotic stability and occasional clonal spreading in diploid C. amara, suggesting that nascent C. amara autotetraploid lineages were preadapted by their diploid lifestyle to survive while enduring reduced meiotic fidelity. However, in contrast to a lack of ortholog convergence, we see process-level and network convergence in DNA management, chromosome organization, stress signaling, and ion homeostasis processes. This gives the first insight into the salient adaptations required to meet the challenges of a WGD state and shows that autopolyploids can utilize multiple evolutionary trajectories to adapt to WGD.
- Klíčová slova
- adaptation, convergence, genome duplication, polyploidy,
- MeSH
- Arabidopsis * genetika MeSH
- duplikace genu * MeSH
- genom rostlinný MeSH
- meióza genetika MeSH
- polyploidie MeSH
- segregace chromozomů MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Introduced about a century ago, suramin remains a frontline drug for the management of early-stage East African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). Cellular entry into the causative agent, the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, occurs through receptor-mediated endocytosis involving the parasite's invariant surface glycoprotein 75 (ISG75), followed by transport into the cytosol via a lysosomal transporter. The molecular basis of the trypanocidal activity of suramin remains unclear, but some evidence suggests broad, but specific, impacts on trypanosome metabolism (i.e. polypharmacology). Here we observed that suramin is rapidly accumulated in trypanosome cells proportionally to ISG75 abundance. Although we found little evidence that suramin disrupts glycolytic or glycosomal pathways, we noted increased mitochondrial ATP production, but a net decrease in cellular ATP levels. Metabolomics highlighted additional impacts on mitochondrial metabolism, including partial Krebs' cycle activation and significant accumulation of pyruvate, corroborated by increased expression of mitochondrial enzymes and transporters. Significantly, the vast majority of suramin-induced proteins were normally more abundant in the insect forms compared with the blood stage of the parasite, including several proteins associated with differentiation. We conclude that suramin has multiple and complex effects on trypanosomes, but unexpectedly partially activates mitochondrial ATP-generating activity. We propose that despite apparent compensatory mechanisms in drug-challenged cells, the suramin-induced collapse of cellular ATP ultimately leads to trypanosome cell death.
- Klíčová slova
- Trypanosoma brucei, differentiation, drug action, drug mechanisms, energy homeostasis, glycosomes, metabolomics, parasite metabolism, polypharmacology, proteomics, sleeping sickness, suramin, trypanosome,
- MeSH
- adenosintrifosfát metabolismus MeSH
- energetický metabolismus účinky léků MeSH
- flagella účinky léků metabolismus ultrastruktura MeSH
- glykolýza účinky léků MeSH
- kyselina pyrohroznová metabolismus MeSH
- membránový potenciál mitochondrií účinky léků MeSH
- metabolom účinky léků MeSH
- mikrotělíska účinky léků metabolismus ultrastruktura MeSH
- mitochondrie účinky léků metabolismus ultrastruktura MeSH
- molekulární modely MeSH
- prolin metabolismus MeSH
- proteom metabolismus MeSH
- protonové ATPasy metabolismus MeSH
- protozoální proteiny metabolismus MeSH
- suramin farmakologie MeSH
- Trypanosoma brucei brucei metabolismus MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Názvy látek
- adenosintrifosfát MeSH
- kyselina pyrohroznová MeSH
- prolin MeSH
- proteom MeSH
- protonové ATPasy MeSH
- protozoální proteiny MeSH
- suramin MeSH
