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Updated: May 29, 2026

Genome-wide Protein-protein Interaction Screening by Protein-fragment Complementation Assay (PCA) in Living Cells
Published on: March 3, 2015
A protein interactome for the last eukaryotic common ancestor illuminates the biochemical basis of modern genetic
Rachael M Cox1, Ophelia Papoulas1, Shirlee Shril2
1Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Abstract:
All eukaryotes share a single-celled ancestor from ∼1.5 to 1.8 billion years ago, the so-called last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA). Roughly half of gene families found in modern eukaryotes were already present in LECA, forming molecular systems that continue to influence genetic diseases and traits today. To investigate these systems, we compared genes across 156 organisms to define a core set of protein-coding gene families likely present in LECA, with a quarter remaining uncharacterized. Integrating >26,000 mass spectrometry proteomics analyses from 31 species, we inferred higher-order complexes among these ancient proteins. This reconstructed interactome reveals both established and novel assemblies, offering a biochemical snapshot of LECA's organization. Finally, by exploring these ancient protein interactions, we found new human gene-disease associations for bone density and congenital birth defects, illustrating the value of ancestral protein networks for modern functional genetics.
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