Evolution of the cytoskeleton: Emerging clues from the diversification and specialisation of archaeal cytoskeletal proteins

Abstract

Recent research in archaeal cell biology has revealed a remarkable diversity of cytoskeletal proteins related to those found in bacteria and eukaryotes, such as the tubulin, actin, and ESCRT protein superfamilies, and archaea-specific proteins that self-assemble and have been implicated in cytoskeletal roles. Here, we outline an emerging view that the archaeal cytoskeleton has several conceptual ties to the sophisticated eukaryotic cytoskeleton. We highlight that duplication and specialisation of protein function is common among archaeal cytoskeletal systems, and that some paralogues show coordinated, opposing functions in the regulation of cell morphogenesis and structural homeostasis. Furthermore, the presence of homologues of eukaryotic cytoskeletal regulators in Asgard archaea, the closest known relatives of eukaryotes, underscores further linkages between eukaryotic and increasingly sophisticated archaeal cytoskeletal systems.