The Evolutionary History of Lysine Biosynthesis Pathways Within Eukaryotes

Lysine biosynthesis occurs in two ways: the diaminopimelate (DAP) pathway and the alpha-aminoadipate (AAA) pathway. The former is present in eubacteria, plants, and algae, whereas the latter was understood to be almost exclusive to fungi. The recent finding of the alpha-aminoadipate reductase (AAR) gene, one of the core genes of the AAA pathway, in the marine protist Corallochytrium limacisporum was, therefore, believed to be a molecular synapomorphy of fungi and C. limacisporum. To test this hypothesis, we undertook a broader search for the AAR gene in eukaryotes, and also analyzed the distribution of the lysA gene, a core gene of the DAP pathway. We show that the evolutionary history of both genes, AAR and lysA, is much more complex than previously believed. Furthermore, the AAR gene is present in several unicellular opisthokonts, thus rebutting the theory that its presence is a molecular synapomorphy between C. limacisporum and fungi. AAR gene seems to be exclusive of Excavata and Unikonts, whereas the lysA gene is present in several unrelated taxa within all major eukaryotic lineages, indicating a role for several lateral gene transfer (LGT) events. Our data imply that the choanoflagellate Monosiga brevicollis and the choanozoan Capsaspora owczarzaki acquired their lysA copies from a proteobacterial ancestor. Overall, these observations represent new evidence that the role of LGT in the evolutionary history of eukaryotes may have been more significant than previously thought.