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Myosin domain evolution and the primary divergence of eukaryotes

Author

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  • Thomas A. Richards

    (The Natural History Museum
    University of Oxford
    University of Exeter, Washington Singer Laboratories)

  • Thomas Cavalier-Smith

    (University of Oxford)

Abstract

Eukaryotic cells have two contrasting cytoskeletal and ciliary organizations. The simplest involves a single cilium-bearing centriole, nucleating a cone of individual microtubules (probably ancestral for unikonts: animals, fungi, Choanozoa and Amoebozoa). In contrast, bikonts (plants, chromists and all other protozoa) were ancestrally biciliate with a younger anterior cilium, converted every cell cycle into a dissimilar posterior cilium and multiple ciliary roots of microtubule bands. Here we show by comparative genomic analysis that this fundamental cellular dichotomy also involves different myosin molecular motors. We found 37 different protein domain combinations, often lineage-specific, and many previously unidentified. The sequence phylogeny and taxonomic distribution of myosin domain combinations identified five innovations that strongly support unikont monophyly and the primary bikont/unikont bifurcation. We conclude that the eukaryotic cenancestor (last common ancestor) had a cilium, mitochondria, pseudopodia, and myosins with three contrasting domain combinations and putative functions.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas A. Richards & Thomas Cavalier-Smith, 2005. "Myosin domain evolution and the primary divergence of eukaryotes," Nature, Nature, vol. 436(7054), pages 1113-1118, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:436:y:2005:i:7054:d:10.1038_nature03949
    DOI: 10.1038/nature03949
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    Cited by:

    1. Thomas A Richards & Laura Eme & John M Archibald & Guy Leonard & Susana M Coelho & Alex de Mendoza & Christophe Dessimoz & Pavel Dolezal & Lillian K Fritz-Laylin & Toni Gabaldón & Vladimír Hampl & Gee, 2024. "Reconstructing the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 22(11), pages 1-24, November.

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