TY - JOUR
T1 - Intracellular bound chlorophyll residues identify 1 Gyr-old fossils as eukaryotic algae
AU - Sforna, Marie Catherine
AU - Loron, Corentin C.
AU - Demoulin, Catherine F.
AU - François, Camille
AU - Cornet, Yohan
AU - Lara, Yannick J.
AU - Grolimund, Daniel
AU - Ferreira Sanchez, Dario
AU - Medjoubi, Kadda
AU - Somogyi, Andrea
AU - Addad, Ahmed
AU - Fadel, Alexandre
AU - Compère, Philippe
AU - Baudet, Daniel
AU - Brocks, Jochen J.
AU - Javaux, Emmanuelle J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - The acquisition of photosynthesis is a fundamental step in the evolution of eukaryotes. However, few phototrophic organisms are unambiguously recognized in the Precambrian record. The in situ detection of metabolic byproducts in individual microfossils is the key for the direct identification of their metabolisms. Here, we report a new integrative methodology using synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence and absorption. We evidence bound nickel-geoporphyrins moieties in low-grade metamorphic rocks, preserved in situ within cells of a ~1 Gyr-old multicellular eukaryote, Arctacellularia tetragonala. We identify these moieties as chlorophyll derivatives, indicating that A. tetragonala was a phototrophic eukaryote, one of the first unambiguous algae. This new approach, applicable to overmature rocks, creates a strong new proxy to understand the evolution of phototrophy and diversification of early ecosystems.
AB - The acquisition of photosynthesis is a fundamental step in the evolution of eukaryotes. However, few phototrophic organisms are unambiguously recognized in the Precambrian record. The in situ detection of metabolic byproducts in individual microfossils is the key for the direct identification of their metabolisms. Here, we report a new integrative methodology using synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence and absorption. We evidence bound nickel-geoporphyrins moieties in low-grade metamorphic rocks, preserved in situ within cells of a ~1 Gyr-old multicellular eukaryote, Arctacellularia tetragonala. We identify these moieties as chlorophyll derivatives, indicating that A. tetragonala was a phototrophic eukaryote, one of the first unambiguous algae. This new approach, applicable to overmature rocks, creates a strong new proxy to understand the evolution of phototrophy and diversification of early ecosystems.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122763294&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-021-27810-7
DO - 10.1038/s41467-021-27810-7
M3 - Article
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 13
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
IS - 1
M1 - 146
ER -