The genome of Naegleria gruberi illuminates early eukaryotic versatility.
Genome sequences of diverse free-living protists are essential for understanding eukaryotic evolution and molecular and cell biology. The free-living amoeboflagellate Naegleria gruberi belongs to a varied and ubiquitous protist clade (Heterolobosea) that diverged from other eukaryotic lineages over a billion years ago. Analysis of the 15,727 protein-coding genes encoded by Naegleria's 41 Mb nuclear genome indicates a capacity for both aerobic respiration and anaerobic metabolism with concomitant hydrogen production, with fundamental implications for the evolution of organelle metabolism. The Naegleria genome facilitates substantially broader phylogenomic comparisons of free-living eukaryotes than previously possible, allowing us to identify thousands of genes likely present in the pan-eukaryotic ancestor, with 40% likely eukaryotic inventions. Moreover, we construct a comprehensive catalog of amoeboid-motility genes. The Naegleria genome, analyzed in the context of other protists, reveals a remarkably complex ancestral eukaryote with a rich repertoire of cytoskeletal, sexual, signaling, and metabolic modules.
Fritz-Laylin
Lillian K
LK
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
Prochnik
Simon E
SE
Ginger
Michael L
ML
Dacks
Joel B
JB
Carpenter
Meredith L
ML
Field
Mark C
MC
Kuo
Alan
A
Paredez
Alex
A
Chapman
Jarrod
J
Pham
Jonathan
J
Shu
Shengqiang
S
Neupane
Rochak
R
Cipriano
Michael
M
Mancuso
Joel
J
Tu
Hank
H
Salamov
Asaf
A
Lindquist
Erika
E
Shapiro
Harris
H
Lucas
Susan
S
Grigoriev
Igor V
IV
Cande
W Zacheus
WZ
Fulton
Chandler
C
Rokhsar
Daniel S
DS
Dawson
Scott C
SC
D005075:Biological Evolution; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D005407:Flagella / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009253:Naegleria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics
D015800:Protozoan Proteins