Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
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 ISI Web of Science
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 arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (49)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Archibald, J. M.
Right arrow Articles by Keeling, P. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Archibald, J. M.
Right arrow Articles by Keeling, P. J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Mol. Biol. Evol. 20(1):62-66. 2003
DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msg006
© 2003 by the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. ISSN: 0737-4038

A Novel Polyubiquitin Structure in Cercozoa and Foraminifera: Evidence for a New Eukaryotic Supergroup

John M. Archibald*, David Longet{dagger}, Jan Pawlowski{dagger} and Patrick J. Keeling*,

* Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
{dagger} Département de Zoologie et Biologie Animale, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Ubiquitin is a 76 amino acid protein with a remarkable degree of evolutionary conservation. Ubiquitin plays an essential role in a large number of eukaryotic cellular processes by targeting proteins for proteasome-mediated degradation. Most ubiquitin genes are found as head-to-tail polymers whose products are posttranslationally processed to ubiquitin monomers. We have characterized polyubuiquitin genes from the photosynthetic amoeboflagellate Chlorarachnion sp. CCMP 621 (also known as Bigelowiella natans) and found that they deviate from the canonical polyubiquitin structure in having an amino acid insertion at the junction between each monomer, suggesting that polyubiquitin processing in this organism is unique among eukaryotes. The gene structure indicates that processing likely cleaves monomers at the amino terminus of the insertion. We examined the phylogenetic distribution of the insertion by sequencing polyubiquitin genes from several other eukaryotic groups and found it to be confined to Cercozoa (including Chlorarachnion, Lotharella, Cercomonas, and Euglypha) and Foraminifera (including Reticulomyxa and Haynesina). This character strongly suggests that Cercozoa and Foraminifera are close relatives and form a new "supergroup" of eukaryotes.

Key Words: Cercozoa • eukaryotes • Foraminifera • polyubiquitin genes


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
 Journal of Foraminiferal ResearchHome page
D. Z. Altin, A. Habura, and S. T. Goldstein
A NEW ALLOGROMIID FORAMINIFER NIVEUS FLEXILIS NOV. GEN., NOV. SP., FROM COASTAL GEORGIA, USA: FINE STRUCTURE AND GAMETOGENESIS
Journal of Foraminiferal Research, April 1, 2009; 39(2): 73 - 86.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
V. Hampl, L. Hug, J. W. Leigh, J. B. Dacks, B. F. Lang, A. G. B. Simpson, and A. J. Roger
Phylogenomic analyses support the monophyly of Excavata and resolve relationships among eukaryotic "supergroups"
PNAS, March 10, 2009; 106(10): 3859 - 3864.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Mol Biol EvolHome page
F. Burki and J. Pawlowski
Monophyly of Rhizaria and Multigene Phylogeny of Unicellular Bikonts
Mol. Biol. Evol., October 1, 2006; 23(10): 1922 - 1930.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Phil Trans R Soc BHome page
A. J Roger and L. A Hug
The origin and diversification of eukaryotes: problems with molecular phylogenetics and molecular clock estimation
Phil Trans R Soc B, June 29, 2006; 361(1470): 1039 - 1054.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Journal of Foraminiferal ResearchHome page
J. Flakowski, I. Bolivar, J. Fahrni, and J. Pawlowski
ACTIN PHYLOGENY OF FORAMINIFERA
Journal of Foraminiferal Research, April 1, 2005; 35(2): 93 - 102.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Mol Biol EvolHome page
N. Arisue, M. Hasegawa, and T. Hashimoto
Root of the Eukaryota Tree as Inferred from Combined Maximum Likelihood Analyses of Multiple Molecular Sequence Data
Mol. Biol. Evol., March 1, 2005; 22(3): 409 - 420.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol.Home page
D. Bass and T. Cavalier-Smith
Phylum-specific environmental DNA analysis reveals remarkably high global biodiversity of Cercozoa (Protozoa)
Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, November 1, 2004; 54(6): 2393 - 2404.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
S. I. Nikolaev, C. Berney, J. F. Fahrni, I. Bolivar, S. Polet, A. P. Mylnikov, V. V. Aleshin, N. B. Petrov, and J. Pawlowski
From the Cover: The twilight of Heliozoa and rise of Rhizaria, an emerging supergroup of amoeboid eukaryotes
PNAS, May 25, 2004; 101(21): 8066 - 8071.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol.Home page
D. Longet, J. M. Archibald, P. J. Keeling, and J. Pawlowski
Foraminifera and Cercozoa share a common origin according to RNA polymerase II phylogenies
Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, November 1, 2003; 53(6): 1735 - 1739.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
J. Pawlowski, M. Holzmann, C. Berney, J. Fahrni, A. J. Gooday, T. Cedhagen, A. Habura, and S. S. Bowser
The evolution of early Foraminifera
PNAS, September 30, 2003; 100(20): 11494 - 11498.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
J. M. Archibald, M. B. Rogers, M. Toop, K.-i. Ishida, and P. J. Keeling
Lateral gene transfer and the evolution of plastid-targeted proteins in the secondary plastid-containing alga Bigelowiella natans
PNAS, June 24, 2003; 100(13): 7678 - 7683.
[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.