Spatial separation of ribosomes and DNA in Asgard archaeal cells |
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| Authors: | Burak Avc&#x; Jakob Brandt Dikla Nachmias Natalie Elia Mads Albertsen Thijs J G Ettema Andreas Schramm Kasper Urup Kjeldsen |
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| Institution: | 1.Department of Biology, Section for Microbiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark ;2.Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands ;3.Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Center for Microbial Communities, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark ;4.Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel ;5.Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark |
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| Abstract: | The origin of the eukaryotic cell is a major open question in biology. Asgard archaea are the closest known prokaryotic relatives of eukaryotes, and their genomes encode various eukaryotic signature proteins, indicating some elements of cellular complexity prior to the emergence of the first eukaryotic cell. Yet, microscopic evidence to demonstrate the cellular structure of uncultivated Asgard archaea in the environment is thus far lacking. We used primer-free sequencing to retrieve 715 almost full-length Loki- and Heimdallarchaeota 16S rRNA sequences and designed novel oligonucleotide probes to visualize their cells in marine sediments (Aarhus Bay, Denmark) using catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH). Super-resolution microscopy revealed 1–2 µm large, coccoid cells, sometimes occurring as aggregates. Remarkably, the DNA staining was spatially separated from ribosome-originated FISH signals by 50–280 nm. This suggests that the genomic material is condensed and spatially distinct in a particular location and could indicate compartmentalization or membrane invagination in Asgard archaeal cells.Subject terms: Soil microbiology, Microbial ecology, Archaeal physiology |
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