NatureJClub
Dynamic protrusions mediate crawling motility in Asgard archaea.
Nature · · Journal Article · Open access
Radler, Viehboeck + more
Abstract ↗AI summary
The abstract is read at the publisher; the summary is JClub's.
Asgard archaea exhibit dynamic actin-based protrusions enabling crawling motility, with speeds up to 4.8 µm per minute, resembling eukaryotic cell movement.
- Why it matters: Understanding these features in Asgard archaea sheds light on the evolution of complex cell motility mechanisms that are characteristic of eukaryotes, filling a key knowledge gap about early cellular development.
- What they did: Live-cell microscopy of Lokiarchaea and Hodarchaea species revealed their ability to rapidly change shape and extend or retract protrusions, which are dependent on actin, as shown by inhibition experiments.
- The result: This discovery highlights a unique form of cellular plasticity in prokaryotes, suggesting that actin-driven motility may have been a crucial step in the emergence of eukaryotic cells.
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result
- Open access