Putative ancient microorganisms from amber nuggets.
Evolutionary microbiology studies based on the isolation of ancient DNA and/or microbial samples are scarce due to the difficulty of finding well preserved biological specimens. However, amber is a fossil resin with natural preserving properties for microbial cells and DNA. The visualization by transmission electron microscopy of different microorganism-like specimens found in amber nuggets from both the Miocene and the Cretaceous periods was accompanied by studies of ancient DNA obtained from the nuggets. After the design of specific primers based on the present sequences of both genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the ancestral AGP2 sequence from the Miocene, as well as the 18S rRNA from the Cretaceous, were amplified.
Veiga-Crespo
Patricia
P
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Blasco
Lucía
L
Poza
Margarita
M
Villa
Tomás G
TG
D018647:Amber / Q000737:chemistry*; D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001407:Bacillus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005580:Fossils; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010163:Paleontology; D010247:Paramecium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D027981:Symporters / Q000235:genetics
C402286:Agp2 protein, S cerevisiae; D018647:Amber; D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D027981:Symporters; D004247:DNA