Skip Navigation



MBE Advance Access published online on June 26, 2006
Molecular Biology and Evolution, doi:10.1093/molbev/msl046
This Article
Right arrow Advance Access manuscript (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Supplementary Material
Right arrow Supplementary Material
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
23/9/1648    most recent
msl046v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Skophammer, R. G.
Right arrow Articles by Lake, J. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Skophammer, R. G.
Right arrow Articles by Lake, J. A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Accepted June 13, 2006

Letter

Evidence that the Root of the Tree of Life is not within the Archaea

Ryan G. Skophammer 1, Craig W. Herbold 2, Maria C. Rivera 1, Jacqueline A. Servin 2, and James A. Lake 3 *

1 Department of MCD Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA Astrobiology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
2 Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA Astrobiology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
3 Department of MCD Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA Astrobiology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
James A. Lake, E-mail: Lake(at)mbi.ucla.edu


  Abstract

The Archaea occupy uncommon and extreme habitats around the world. They manufacture unusual compounds, utilize novel metabolic pathways, and contain many unique genes. Many suspect, due to their novel properties, that the root of the tree of life may be within the Archaea, although there is little direct evidence for this root. Here, using gene insertions and deletions found within protein synthesis factors present in all prokaryotes and eukaryotes, we present statistically significant evidence that the root of life is outside the Archaea.

Keywords: Tree of life; Root; Indels; Archaea; Cenancestor.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Phil Trans R Soc BHome page
J. A. Lake, R. G. Skophammer, C. W. Herbold, and J. A. Servin
Genome beginnings: rooting the tree of life
Phil Trans R Soc B, August 12, 2009; 364(1527): 2177 - 2185.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Syst BiolHome page
J. A. Lake, J. A. Servin, C. W. Herbold, and R. G. Skophammer
Evidence for a New Root of the Tree of Life
Syst Biol, December 1, 2008; 57(6): 835 - 843.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev.Home page
G. J. Workun, K. Moquin, R. A. Rothery, and J. H. Weiner
Evolutionary Persistence of the Molybdopyranopterin-Containing Sulfite Oxidase Protein Fold
Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev., June 1, 2008; 72(2): 228 - 248.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.