Minimal and hybrid hydrogenases are active from archaea

Chris Greening (Leading Author), Princess R. Cabotaje (Leading Author), Luis E. Valentin Alvarado (Leading Author), Pok Man Leung (Leading Author), Henrik Land, Thiago Rodrigues-Oliveira, Rafael I. Ponce-Toledo, Moritz Senger, Max A. Klamke, Michael Milton, Rachael Lappan, Susan Mullen, Jacob West-Roberts, Jie Mao, Jiangning Song, Marie Schoelmerich, Courtney W. Stairs, Christa Schleper, Rhys Grinter (Leading Author), Anja Spang (Leading Author)Jillian F. Banfield (Leading Author), Gustav Berggren (Leading Author)

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Microbial hydrogen (H2) cycling underpins the diversity and functionality of diverse anoxic ecosystems. Among the three evolutionarily distinct hydrogenase superfamilies responsible, [FeFe] hydrogenases were thought to be restricted to bacteria and eukaryotes. Here, we show that anaerobic archaea encode diverse, active, and ancient lineages of [FeFe] hydrogenases through combining analysis of existing and new genomes with extensive biochemical experiments. [FeFe] hydrogenases are encoded by genomes of nine archaeal phyla and expressed by H2-producing Asgard archaeon cultures. We report an ultraminimal hydrogenase in DPANN archaea that binds the catalytic H-cluster and produces H2. Moreover, we identify and characterize remarkable hybrid complexes formed through the fusion of [FeFe] and [NiFe] hydrogenases in ten other archaeal orders. Phylogenetic analysis and structural modeling suggest a deep evolutionary history of hybrid hydrogenases. These findings reveal new metabolic adaptations of archaea, streamlined H2 catalysts for biotechnological development, and a surprisingly intertwined evolutionary history between the two major H2-metabolizing enzymes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3357-3372.e19
Number of pages36
JournalCell
Volume187
Issue number13
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Jun 2024

Keywords

  • anaerobic
  • archaea
  • eukaryogenesis
  • hydrogen
  • hydrogenase

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