TitleDistinct filament morphology and membrane tethering features of the dual FtsZ paralogs in Odinarchaeota.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2025
AuthorsKumari J, Uthaman A, Bose S, Kundu A, Sharma V, Dutta S, Dhar A, Roy S, Srinivasan R, Pande S, Vinothkumar KR, Gayathri P, Palani S
JournalEMBO J
Date Published2025 Aug 08
ISSN1460-2075
Abstract

The Asgard phylum has emerged as a model to study eukaryogenesis because of their close relatedness with the eukaryotes. In this study, we use FtsZ proteins from a member of the class Odinarchaeia as representatives to investigate the probable origin, evolution, and assembly of the FtsZ/tubulin protein superfamily in Asgard archaea. We performed a comparative analysis of the biochemical properties and cytoskeletal assembly of FtsZ1 and FtsZ2, the two FtsZ isoforms in the Odinarchaeota metagenome. Our electron microscopy analysis reveals that OdinFtsZ1 assembles into curved single protofilaments, while OdinFtsZ2 forms stacked spiral ring-like structures. Upon sequence analysis, we identified an N-terminal amphipathic helix in OdinFtsZ1, which mediates direct membrane tethering. In contrast, OdinFtsZ2 is recruited to the membrane by the anchor OdinSepF via OdinFtsZ2's C-terminal tail. Overall, we report the presence of two distant evolutionary paralogs of FtsZ in Odinarchaeota, with distinct filament assemblies and differing modes of membrane targeting. Our findings highlight the diversity of FtsZ proteins in the archaeal phylum Asgardarchaeota, providing valuable insights into the evolution and differentiation of tubulin-family proteins.

DOI10.1038/s44318-025-00529-7
Alternate JournalEMBO J
PubMed ID40781499
PubMed Central ID8956254
Grant ListIA/I/21/1/505633 / / Wellcome Trust DBT India Alliance (India Alliance) /
IA/S/23/1/506755 / / Wellcome Trust DBT India Alliance (India Alliance) /
IA/I/20/1/504921 / / Wellcome Trust DBT India Alliance (India Alliance) /
BT/INF/22/SP33046/2019 / / Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India (DBT) /
DBT/PR12422/MED/31/287/2014 / / Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India (DBT) /
SRG/2021/001600 / / DST | Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) /
STARS2/2023-1015 / / Ministry of Education STARS grant /
RTI 4006 / / Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India (DAE) /