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Evidence that eukaryotes and eocyte prokaryotes are immediate relatives.

M C Rivera¹, J A Lake

¹Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles 90024.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|July 3, 1992

Summary

The origin of eukaryotes remains unclear due to gene divergence. Comparing elongation factor EF-1 alpha genes revealed a unique 11-amino acid segment in eukaryotes and eocytes, suggesting eocytes are the closest bacterial relatives to eukaryotes.

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Area of Science:

Molecular biology
Evolutionary biology
Genomics

Background:

The evolutionary history and phylogenetic origin of eukaryotes are challenging to ascertain.
Eukaryotic nuclear genes have undergone significant divergence from prokaryotic genes, complicating evolutionary analyses.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the phylogenetic relationship between eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
To identify molecular markers that can shed light on the origin of eukaryotes.

Main Methods:

Comparative sequence analysis of elongation factor EF-1 alpha genes across diverse organisms.
Identification and comparison of specific amino acid sequence segments, including an 11-amino acid insert.

Main Results:

A unique 11-amino acid segment was identified in the EF-1 alpha sequences of eukaryotes.
This 11-amino acid segment was also present in eocytes (extremely thermophilic, sulfur-metabolizing bacteria).
The insert was absent in all other bacterial lineages and in related paralogous genes (EF-2, IF-2).

Conclusions:

The presence of the shared 11-amino acid insert strongly suggests a close evolutionary relationship.
Eocytes represent the closest surviving relatives (sister taxon) to the eukaryotes based on EF-1 alpha gene sequence data.