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| Open AccessTrace gas oxidation sustains energy needs of a thermophilic archaeon at suboptimal temperatures
Diverse bacteria can use the low levels of hydrogen and carbon monoxide present in the air as energy sources for growth and survival. Here, Leung et al. show that ability is also found in thermophilic archaea of the order Sulfolobales.
- Pok Man Leung
- , Rhys Grinter
- & Chris Greening
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| Open AccessMechanisms of extracellular electron transfer in anaerobic methanotrophic archaea
Anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) archaea are uncultivated microbes that oxidize the greenhouse gas methane and engage in extracellular electron transfer with other microbes, metal oxides, and electrodes. Here, Ouboter et al. observe strong methane-dependent current associated with high enrichment of ANME archaea on the anode, and provide insights into the mechanisms underlying extracellular electron transfer.
- Heleen T. Ouboter
- , Rob Mesman
- & Cornelia U. Welte
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| Open AccessEvolution of optimal growth temperature in Asgard archaea inferred from the temperature dependence of GDP binding to EF-1A
The archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes belonged to the phylum Asgardarchaeota, or Asgard archaea. Here, the authors use ancestral sequence reconstruction and experimentally determine the optimal GDP-binding temperature of a translation elongation factor from ancient and extant Asgard archaea, to infer optimal growth temperatures for eukaryotes’ ancestors.
- Zhongyi Lu
- , Runyue Xia
- & Meng Li
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| Open AccessIdentification of NAD-RNA species and ADPR-RNA decapping in Archaea
NAD serves as a 5′-terminal cap for bacterial and eukaryotic transcripts, and can be degraded at high temperatures to generate ADP-ribose (ADPR). Here, Gomes-Filho et al. identify NAD-RNAs in thermophilic and mesophilic archaea and provide insights into NAD- and ADPR-mediated turnover of RNAs in these organisms.
- José Vicente Gomes-Filho
- , Ruth Breuer
- & Lennart Randau
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| Open AccessMulti-heme cytochrome-mediated extracellular electron transfer by the anaerobic methanotroph ‘Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens’
Anaerobic methanotrophic archaea play crucial roles in the methane cycle. Here, Zhang et al. provide experimental evidence supporting that multi-heme cytochromes mediate extracellular electron transfer for the reduction of metals and electrodes in these microorganisms.
- Xueqin Zhang
- , Georgina H. Joyce
- & Shihu Hu
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| Open AccessBacterial origins of thymidylate metabolism in Asgard archaea and Eukarya
Asgard archaea include the closest known archaeal relatives of eukaryotes. Here, the authors provide evidence that eukaryotic and Asgard thymidylate synthases (required for DNA synthesis) may have a bacterial origin, and additional lateral transfer of bacterial genes may have shaped the metabolism of Asgard archaea.
- Jonathan Filée
- , Hubert F. Becker
- & Hannu Myllykallio
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| Open AccessAn essential role for tungsten in the ecology and evolution of a previously uncultivated lineage of anaerobic, thermophilic Archaea
Trace metals have been an important ingredient for life throughout Earth’s history. Here, the authors show that a member of an elusive archaeal lineage (Caldarchaeales or Aigarchaeota) requires tungsten for growth, and provide evidence that tungsten-dependent metabolism played a role in the origin and evolution of this lineage.
- Steffen Buessecker
- , Marike Palmer
- & Jeremy A. Dodsworth
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| Open AccessThe importance of biofilm formation for cultivation of a Micrarchaeon and its interactions with its Thermoplasmatales host
The Micrarchaeota lineage includes poorly characterized archaea with reduced genomes that likely depend on host interactions for survival. Here, the authors report a stable co-culture of a member of the Micrarchaeota and its host, and use multi-omic and physiological analyses to shed light on this symbiosis.
- Susanne Krause
- , Sabrina Gfrerer
- & Johannes Gescher
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| Open AccessIdentification of a protein responsible for the synthesis of archaeal membrane-spanning GDGT lipids
The cell membranes of many archaea contain characteristic membrane-spanning lipids known as glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers. Here, Zeng et al. identify a protein that participates in a key step of the synthesis of these lipids from diether precursors.
- Zhirui Zeng
- , Huahui Chen
- & Paula V. Welander
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| Open AccessGenomic inference of the metabolism and evolution of the archaeal phylum Aigarchaeota
The phylum of archaea Aigarchaeota is poorly characterized due to limited genomic sampling. Here, Hua and colleagues use genome-resolved metagenome sequencing to reconstruct six hot spring strains of Aigarchaeota and then infer their metabolism and evolutionary history.
- Zheng-Shuang Hua
- , Yan-Ni Qu
- & Wen-Jun Li
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| Open AccessRpn11-mediated ubiquitin processing in an ancestral archaeal ubiquitination system
Ubiquitin modification also occurs in archaea. Here, the authors characterize an archaeal ancestral ubiquitination system, present the crystal structure of the archaeal deubiquitinase Rpn11 from Caldiarchaeum subterraneum bound to ubiquitin and provide insights into evolutionary relationships.
- Adrian C. D. Fuchs
- , Lorena Maldoner
- & Jörg Martin
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| Open AccessBiological methane production under putative Enceladus-like conditions
Many methanogenic archaea use H2 and CO2 to produce methane. Here, Taubner et al. show that Methanothermococcus okinawensis produces methane under conditions extrapolated for Saturn’s icy moon, Enceladus, and estimate that serpentinization may produce sufficient H2 for biological methane production.
- Ruth-Sophie Taubner
- , Patricia Pappenreiter
- & Simon K.-M. R. Rittmann
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| Open AccessActivity-based protein profiling as a robust method for enzyme identification and screening in extremophilic Archaea
Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) is a chemical proteomics method to profile activity states of enzymes under physiological conditions. Here the authors show that ABPP can be applied to archaeal serine hydrolases in the model organismSulfolobus acidocaldariusand can be used to identify novel putative serine hydrolases.
- Susanne Zweerink
- , Verena Kallnik
- & Markus Kaiser
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| Open AccessAn archaeal ADP-dependent serine kinase involved in cysteine biosynthesis and serine metabolism
Archaea metabolism has unique adaptations to hostile environments. Here Makino et al. describe an unusual ADP-dependent kinase that phosphorylates free serine to O-phosphoserine and participates in an additional cysteine biosynthetic pathway in the archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis.
- Yuki Makino
- , Takaaki Sato
- & Haruyuki Atomi