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A photosynthetic alveolate closely related to apicomplexan parasites

Author

Listed:
  • Robert B. Moore

    (School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, University of Sydney, Darlington, New South Wales 2006, Australia
    Roy J. Carver Center for Comparative Genomics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1324, USA)

  • Miroslav Oborník

    (Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Parasitology, and University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic)

  • Jan Janouškovec

    (Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Parasitology, and University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic)

  • Tomáš Chrudimský

    (Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Parasitology, and University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic)

  • Marie Vancová

    (Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Parasitology, and University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic)

  • David H. Green

    (Scottish Association for Marine Science, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, Oban, Argyll PA37 1QA, UK)

  • Simon W. Wright

    (Kingston, Tasmania 7050, Australia)

  • Noel W. Davies

    (Central Science Laboratory, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia)

  • Christopher J. S. Bolch

    (School of Aquaculture, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia)

  • Kirsten Heimann

    (School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia)

  • Jan Šlapeta

    (Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia)

  • Ove Hoegh-Guldberg

    (Centre for Marine Studies, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia)

  • John M. Logsdon

    (Roy J. Carver Center for Comparative Genomics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1324, USA)

  • Dee A. Carter

    (School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, University of Sydney, Darlington, New South Wales 2006, Australia)

Abstract

Many parasitic Apicomplexa, such as Plasmodium falciparum, contain an unpigmented chloroplast remnant termed the apicoplast, which is a target for malaria treatment. However, no close relative of apicomplexans with a functional photosynthetic plastid has yet been described. Here we describe a newly cultured organism that has ultrastructural features typical for alveolates, is phylogenetically related to apicomplexans, and contains a photosynthetic plastid. The plastid is surrounded by four membranes, is pigmented by chlorophyll a, and uses the codon UGA to encode tryptophan in the psbA gene. This genetic feature has been found only in coccidian apicoplasts and various mitochondria. The UGA-Trp codon and phylogenies of plastid and nuclear ribosomal RNA genes indicate that the organism is the closest known photosynthetic relative to apicomplexan parasites and that its plastid shares an origin with the apicoplasts. The discovery of this organism provides a powerful model with which to study the evolution of parasitism in Apicomplexa.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert B. Moore & Miroslav Oborník & Jan Janouškovec & Tomáš Chrudimský & Marie Vancová & David H. Green & Simon W. Wright & Noel W. Davies & Christopher J. S. Bolch & Kirsten Heimann & Jan Šlapeta & , 2008. "A photosynthetic alveolate closely related to apicomplexan parasites," Nature, Nature, vol. 451(7181), pages 959-963, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:451:y:2008:i:7181:d:10.1038_nature06635
    DOI: 10.1038/nature06635
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    Cited by:

    1. Ludek Koreny & Brandon N. Mercado-Saavedra & Christen M. Klinger & Konstantin Barylyuk & Simon Butterworth & Jennifer Hirst & Yolanda Rivera-Cuevas & Nathan R. Zaccai & Victoria J. C. Holzer & Andreas, 2023. "Stable endocytic structures navigate the complex pellicle of apicomplexan parasites," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-19, December.

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