Reconstructing the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes

Understanding the origin of eukaryotic cells is one of the most difficult problems in all of biology. A key challenge relevant to the question of eukaryogenesis is reconstructing the gene repertoire of the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA). As data sets grow, sketching an accurate genomics-info...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Richards, Thomas A., Leger, Michelle M., Richter, Daniel J., Ruiz Trillo, Iñaki, Sebé-Pedrós, Arnau, Wideman, Jeremy G.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10230/69519
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/69519
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002917
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Eukaryota
Eukaryotic evolution
Phylogenetics
Evolutionary genetics
Phylogenetic analysis
Hidden Markov models
Genomics
Microbial evolution
Descripción
Sumario:Understanding the origin of eukaryotic cells is one of the most difficult problems in all of biology. A key challenge relevant to the question of eukaryogenesis is reconstructing the gene repertoire of the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA). As data sets grow, sketching an accurate genomics-informed picture of early eukaryotic cellular complexity requires provision of analytical resources and a commitment to data sharing. Here, we summarise progress towards understanding the biology of LECA and outline a community approach to inferring its wider gene repertoire. Once assembled, a robust LECA gene set will be a useful tool for evaluating alternative hypotheses about the origin of eukaryotes and understanding the evolution of traits in all descendant lineages, with relevance in diverse fields such as cell biology, microbial ecology, biotechnology, agriculture, and medicine. In this Consensus View, we put forth the status quo and an agreed path forward to reconstruct LECA's gene content.