Summary
Genome sequences of diverse free-living protists are essential for understanding eukaryotic evolution and molecular and cell
biology. The free-living amoe
boflagellate Naegleria gru
beri
belongs to a varied and u
biquitous protist clade (Heterolo
bosea) that diverged from other eukaryotic lineages over a
billion years ago. Analysis of the 15,727 protein-coding genes encoded
by Naegleria's 41 M
b nuclear genome indicates a capacity for
both aero
bic respiration and anaero
bic meta
bolism with concomitant hydrogen production, with fundamental implications for the evolution of organelle meta
bolism. The Naegleria genome facilitates su
bstantially
broader phylogenomic comparisons of free-living eukaryotes than previously possi
ble, allowing us to identify thousands of genes likely present in the pan-eukaryotic ancestor, with 40 % likely eukaryotic inventions. Moreover, we construct a comprehensive catalog of amoe
boid-motility genes. The Naegleria genome, analyzed in the context of other protists, reveals a remarka
bly complex ancestral eukaryote with a rich repertoire of cytoskeletal, sexual, signaling, and meta
bolic modules.
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