IISC Team Finds Ancient Proteins that hint at Life’s Leap in Complexity

One of biology’s biggest mysteries is how simple cells evolved into the complex cells we see in animals, plants, and fungi. Simple cells like bacteria and archaea usually have fewer parts and simpler machinery. Eukaryotic Cells, on the other hand, have elaborate internal structures and complicated systems for dividing and maintaining their shape.

To understand how this transition is happy, scientists study a special group of archaea called the assistant archaa. These microbes are considered the closest living relatives of eukaryotes and their genes provide important cloes about How Complexity First Arose.

A Key Piece of this puzzle is the cytoskeleton, the network of proteins that Gives cells their shape and helps them divide. In Bacteria, The Ftsz Protein is essential for cell division. Eukaryotes related Proteins Such as Tubulin, which performance more advanced functions.

In a new study published in The embo journeyIndian Institute of Science Researchers have reported that OdinarchaeotaA Member of the Asgard Group, has two versions of the fatsz gene, Along with a tubulin-Like Gene. This is unusual: Most microbes only carry one.

The Researchers Analysed The Two Ftsz Proteins Using Phylognetic Studies, Biochemical Tests, and Cryo-Electron Microscopy. They examined how Each Protein Assembly in the presence of energy-charrying molecules like gtp, and tested wheether they single Bind to Artificial Membranes.

The two proteins showed distinct behavior. Odinftsz1 formed straight protofilaments Similar to Bacterial ftsz and count anchor directly to membranes. Odinftsz2 formed unusual spiral ring-like structures and needed the help of an adaptor protein to attach to membranes. When both proteins were tested togetra, they interacted, suggesting they may cooperate in actual cells.

The differences point to a division of labore between the two paralogs. This means cytoskeletal proteins in archaea can divide into specialized roles, a sign of growing cellular complexity. The combination of two fatsz systems and a tubulin-lyke protein indicates asgard archaea warechaea warechaea with many structural strategies, possibly foreshadoving the Diversese CytosE CytosE CytosE Cytoshed Eukaryotes.

“This proteins give us a rare snapshot of a turning point in evolution, where life began building the dynamic skeleton The HinduHe added that next, the team will grow asgard microbes in the lab to “Observe these proteins in living cells, potentially offering a real-time view of one of evolution.”