Evolutionary compaction and adaptation visualized by the structure of the dormant microsporidian ribosome.

ABSTRACT: Microsporidia are eukaryotic parasites that infect essentially all animal species, including many of agricultural importance^1-3, and are significant opportunistic parasites of humans⁴. They are characterized by having a specialized infection apparatus, an obligate intracellular lifestyle⁵, rudimentary mitochondria and the smallest known eukaryotic genomes^5-7. Extreme genome compaction led to minimal gene sizes affecting even conserved ancient complexes such as the ribosome^8-10. In the present study, the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the ribosome from the microsporidium Vairimorpha necatrix is presented, which illustrates how genome compaction has resulted in the smallest known eukaryotic cytoplasmic ribosome. Selection pressure

SUBMITTER: Barandun J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6814508 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature