It takes two to TAngO2: unravelling the role of syntrophic interactions in the evolution of anaerobic eukaryotes

Introduction

Living without oxygen is challenging. To live in low-oxygen environments, some microbes exchange nutrients allowing for a division of labor among individuals in a process called ‘syntrophy’. Such interactions are often a pre-requisite for prokaryotes living in these environments. Whether syntrophy is necessary for the survival of microbial eukaryotes (protists) is unexplored and yet, critically important to discerning the roles of eukaryotes in nature and how eukaryotic cells adapt to live without oxygen.

Project Hypothesis

TAngO2 will test the hypothesis that syntrophic partnerships allow eukaryotes to thrive in anaerobic environments and underpin the evolution of key eukaryotic cell biological characteristics. This will be accomplished using state-of-the-art genomic, computational, and experimental approaches.

Research Methods

1. Gene Discovery
   I will discover genes essential for interactions between a model protist and its ectosymbiont using massively-parallelized transposon mutagenesis. This will discern the molecular mechanisms, metabolic interplay, and selective forces dictating eukaryote:prokaryote interactions.

2. Metagenomic Analysis
   I will deliver metagenomes of cultured anaerobic eukaryote:prokaryote consortia predicted to be engaging in syntrophic interactions. This will drastically expand our knowledge of the biodiversity of eukaryotic genomes and microbial interactions from low-oxygen environments.

3. Genomic and Transcriptomic Sequencing
   I will interrogate the frequency and diversity of syntrophy in eukaryotes by simultaneously sequencing the genomes and transcriptomes of individual protist cells and their microbiota sampled from nature. This will provide the first elucidation of what communities co-exist with natural anaerobic protists.

Significance of the Research

Understanding how syntrophic interactions have influenced eukaryotic cell biology will reveal hidden connections in the complicated functional networks of the eukaryotic cell. TAngO2 will open research avenues by bridging the fields of evolutionary cell biology and microbiology to understand ancient and recent symbiotic relationships.