Combined morphological and phylogenomic re-examination of malawimonads, a critical taxon for inferring the evolutionary history of eukaryotes

Royal Society Open Science
Aaron A HeissA G Simpson

Abstract

Modern syntheses of eukaryote diversity assign almost all taxa to one of three groups: Amorphea, Diaphoretickes and Excavata (comprising Discoba and Metamonada). The most glaring exception is Malawimonadidae, a group of small heterotrophic flagellates that resemble Excavata by morphology, but branch with Amorphea in most phylogenomic analyses. However, just one malawimonad, Malawimonas jakobiformis, has been studied with both morphological and molecular-phylogenetic approaches, raising the spectre of interpretation errors and phylogenetic artefacts from low taxon sampling. We report a morphological and phylogenomic study of a new deep-branching malawimonad, Gefionella okellyi n. gen. n. sp. Electron microscopy revealed all canonical features of 'typical excavates', including flagellar vanes (as an opposed pair, unlike M. jakobiformis but like many metamonads) and a composite fibre. Initial phylogenomic analyses grouped malawimonads with the Amorphea-related orphan lineage Collodictyon, separate from a Metamonada+Discoba clade. However, support for this topology weakened when more sophisticated evolutionary models were used, and/or fast-evolving sites and long-branching taxa (FS/LB) were excluded. Analyses of '-FS/LB' datasets i...Continue Reading

References

Sep 23, 2000·The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology·B S Leander, M A Farmer
Oct 8, 2003·Systematic Biology·Edward SuskoAndrew J Roger
Dec 6, 2003·International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology·Alastair G B Simpson
Nov 26, 2005·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Alastair G B SimpsonAndrew J Roger
Feb 24, 2006·Trends in Genetics : TIG·Olivier JeffroyHervé Philippe
Feb 10, 2007·BMC Evolutionary Biology·Nicolas LartillotHervé Philippe
Aug 11, 2007·Current Biology : CB·Naiara Rodríguez-EzpeletaB Franz Lang
Jan 15, 2008·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Nicolas Lartillot, Hervé Philippe
Feb 25, 2009·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Vladimir HamplAndrew J Roger
Jul 27, 2010·Systematic Biology·Laura Wegener ParfreyLaura A Katz
May 17, 2011·Nature Biotechnology·Manfred G GrabherrAviv Regev
Dec 3, 2011·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Romain Derelle, B Franz Lang
Feb 10, 2012·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Sen ZhaoKamran Shalchian-Tabrizi
May 23, 2012·Current Biology : CB·Matthew W BrownAndrew J Roger
Oct 2, 2012·The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology·Sina M AdlFrederick W Spiegel
Jan 22, 2013·Genome Biology and Evolution·Gertraud BurgerB Franz Lang
Feb 13, 2013·The Plant Journal : for Cell and Molecular Biology·Naoji Yubuki, Brian S Leander
Aug 27, 2013·Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution·Sen ZhaoDag Klaveness
Aug 30, 2013·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Matthew W BrownAndrew J Roger
May 3, 2014·Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology·Fabien Burki
Aug 26, 2014·Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution·Thomas Cavalier-SmithRhodri Lewis
Nov 6, 2014·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Lam-Tung NguyenBui Quang Minh
Nov 29, 2014·Nucleic Acids Research·Matus ValachB Franz Lang
Dec 20, 2014·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Xavier Grau-BovéIñaki Ruiz-Trillo
Feb 4, 2016·Nature·Alexandros A Pittis, Toni Gabaldón
Apr 4, 2017·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Yoshinori FukasawaKenichiro Imai
May 6, 2017·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Michelle M LegerAndrew J Roger
May 16, 2017·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Seungho KangMatthew W Brown
Jul 26, 2017·Journal of Phycology·Aaron A HeissEunsoo Kim

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Dec 12, 2018·Genome Biology and Evolution·Francisco Figueroa-MartinezAdrian Reyes-Prieto
Jan 23, 2019·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Jürgen F H StrassertFabien Burki
May 8, 2019·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Mario A Cerón-RomeroL A Katz

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
electron microscopy
scanning electron microscopy
transmission electron microscopy
Illumina sequencing

Software Mentioned

Python
IQ
TREE
Inchworm
RAxML
Paratrimastix
Discoba
Dist
Est
hylo B ayes - MPI

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.