The Oxymonad Genome Displays Canonical Eukaryotic Complexity in the Absence of a Mitochondrion.

ABSTRACT: The discovery that the protist Monocercomonoides exilis completely lacks mitochondria demonstrates that these organelles are not absolutely essential to eukaryotic cells. However, the degree to which the metabolism and cellular systems of this organism have adapted to the loss of mitochondria is unknown. Here, we report an extensive analysis of the M. exilis genome to address this question. Unexpectedly, we find that M. exilis genome structure and content is similar in complexity to other eukaryotes and less "reduced" than genomes of some other protists from the Metamonada group to which it belongs. Furthermore, the predicted cytoskeletal systems, the organization of endomembrane systems, and biosynthetic pathways also display canonical eukaryotic complexity. The only apparent preadaptatio

SUBMITTER: Karnkowska A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6759080 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature