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Cell division and the ESCRT complex: A surprise from the archaea
Thijs Jg Ettema1, Rolf Bernander
1Department of Molecular Evolution; Evolutionary Biology Center; Uppsala University; Uppsala, Sweden.
Communicative & Integrative Biology
|August 26, 2009
Summary
Researchers discovered the cell division machinery in Crenarchaea, a key archaeal phylum. This machinery, involving cdvA, cdvB, and cdvC genes, shares ancestry with eukaryotic ESCRT-III, revealing conserved mechanisms in cell division across life domains.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Archaea represent a distinct domain of life with a mix of bacterial and eukaryotic features.
- Cell division mechanisms in Archaea were previously understood to be primarily FtsZ-based in Euryarchaeota, with no known division genes in Crenarchaeota.
- Recent discoveries have identified novel cell division machinery in Crenarchaea.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and discuss the recently discovered cell division machinery in Crenarchaea.
- To investigate the components, conservation, and evolutionary links of this machinery.
- To suggest future research directions for archaeal cell division.
Main Methods:
- Identification and characterization of the cdvA, cdvB, and cdvC genes in Crenarchaea.
- Analysis of the phylogenetic distribution of the cdv operon.
- Comparison of cdv gene products with eukaryotic protein sorting machinery (ESCRT-III).
Main Results:
- Discovery of a minimal cell division machinery in Crenarchaea (genus Sulfolobus) consisting of the cdvA, cdvB, and cdvC genes organized in an operon.
- Demonstration that the gene products polymerize during cell division, forming a complex at the constriction site.
- Evidence of evolutionary and mechanistic links between archaeal CdvB/CdvC proteins and eukaryotic ESCRT-III machinery.
- Observation of checkpoint-like regulation of the cdv operon and its complementary distribution to FtsZ systems within Archaea.
Conclusions:
- The cdv operon represents the conserved cell division machinery in Crenarchaea.
- Archaeal and eukaryotic cell division mechanisms share common ancestry and functional similarities, particularly involving ESCRT-III related proteins.
- Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the regulation and function of archaeal cell division systems.
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