Eukaryotic-like microtubules and dynamic instability of Asgard archaeal tubulins
Eukaryotic cells change their shapes, actively segregate their DNA, and contain membrane networks, facilitated by a complex cytoskeleton containing actin filaments, microtubules made from tubulin, and other components. These filaments have ancient evolutionary origins because actin- and tubulin-like proteins form prokaryotic cytoskeletons in archaea and bacteria. Bona fide eukaryotic F-actin can be traced back to crenarchaea and Asgard archaea, which are the closest known relatives of eukaryotes. A possible Asgard archaeal origin of microtubules was suggested recently with the discovery of a lokiarchaeon containing AtubAB mini microtubules that share architectural features with their eukaryotic counterparts. Using phylogenetic analyses of metagenomic data, here we report the broad occurrence of tubulins in Asgard archaea. Biochemical and structural analyses showed that one of our previously unidentified heimdallarchaeial AtubAB tubulin pairs forms four-protofilament mini microtubules that show dynamic instability and are inhibited by the tubulin drug maytansine. Our work raises the possibility that microtubule architecture and dynamics evolved in Asgard archaea prior to eukaryogenesis.
Authors
- Brett J. Baker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5971-1021)
- Stephan Köstlbacher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6710-7572)
- Emmanuel Derivery (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3927-5944)
- Daniel Tamarit (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4940-719X)
- Steffen L. Jørgensen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0240-7907)
- Brendan Paul Burns (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2962-2597)
- María A. Oliva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2215-4639)
- Tanmay A. M. Bharat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0168-0277)
- Jennah E. Dharamshi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4563-3939)
- Kathryn E. Appler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1219-1786)
- Stephanie-Jane Nobs
- Andriko von Kügelgen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0017-2414)
- Jan Löwe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5218-6615)
- Martin B. L. McAndrew (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7338-3119)
- Julian Vosseberg (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3105-9414)
- Vicente J. Planelles-Herrero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1665-184X)
- Thijs J. G. Ettema (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6898-6377)
- Fraser I. MacLeod
Institutions
- Uppsala University (SE)
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ES)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (GB)
- Utrecht University (NL)
- Science for Life Laboratory (SE)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Istituto di Scienze Marine del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IT)
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (ES)
- University of Bergen (NO)
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- Wageningen University & Research (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2026-07-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeh1082
- Primary Topic
- Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Simons Foundation
- Wellcome Trust
- Trond Mohn stiftelse
- Leverhulme Trust
- Volkswagen Foundation
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología
- Medical Research Council
- Australian Research Council
- HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council