+ Open data
Open data
- Basic information
Basic information
| Entry |  | |||||||||
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| Title | Sub-tomogram average of Asgard AtubA/B2 microtubule | |||||||||
|  Map data | ||||||||||
|  Sample | 
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|  Keywords | Asgard archaea / microtubule / cryoEM / cytomotive filaments / cytoskeleton / STRUCTURAL PROTEIN | |||||||||
| Biological species |  Candidatus Lokiarchaeum ossiferum (archaea) | |||||||||
| Method | subtomogram averaging / cryo EM / Resolution: 23.0 Å | |||||||||
|  Authors | Wollweber F / Xu J / Ponce-Toledo RI / Rodrigues-Oliveira T / Malit JJL / Kokhanovska A / Wieczorek M / Schleper C / Pilhofer M | |||||||||
| Funding support | European Union, 1 items 
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|  Citation |  Journal: Cell / Year: 2025 Title: Microtubules in Asgard archaea. Authors: Florian Wollweber / Jingwei Xu / Rafael I Ponce-Toledo / Florina Marxer / Thiago Rodrigues-Oliveira / Anja Pössnecker / Zhen-Hao Luo / Jessie James Limlingan Malit / Anastasiia Kokhanovska ...Authors: Florian Wollweber / Jingwei Xu / Rafael I Ponce-Toledo / Florina Marxer / Thiago Rodrigues-Oliveira / Anja Pössnecker / Zhen-Hao Luo / Jessie James Limlingan Malit / Anastasiia Kokhanovska / Michal Wieczorek / Christa Schleper / Martin Pilhofer /    Abstract: Microtubules are a hallmark of eukaryotes. Archaeal and bacterial homologs of tubulins typically form homopolymers and non-tubular superstructures. The origin of heterodimeric tubulins assembling ...Microtubules are a hallmark of eukaryotes. Archaeal and bacterial homologs of tubulins typically form homopolymers and non-tubular superstructures. The origin of heterodimeric tubulins assembling into microtubules remains unclear. Here, we report the discovery of microtubule-forming tubulins in Asgard archaea, the closest known relatives of eukaryotes. These Asgard tubulins (AtubA/B) are closely related to eukaryotic α/β-tubulins and the enigmatic bacterial tubulins BtubA/B. Proteomics of Candidatus Lokiarchaeum ossiferum showed that AtubA/B were highly expressed. Cryoelectron microscopy structures demonstrate that AtubA/B form eukaryote-like heterodimers, which assembled into 5-protofilament bona fide microtubules in vitro. The additional paralog AtubB2 lacks a nucleotide-binding site and competitively displaced AtubB. These AtubA/B2 heterodimers polymerized into 7-protofilament non-canonical microtubules. In a sub-population of Ca. Lokiarchaeum ossiferum cells, cryo-tomography revealed tubular structures, while expansion microscopy identified AtubA/B cytoskeletal assemblies. Our findings suggest a pre-eukaryotic origin of microtubules and provide a framework for understanding the fundamental principles of microtubule assembly. | |||||||||
| History | 
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- Structure visualization
Structure visualization
| Supplemental images | 
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- Downloads & links
Downloads & links
-EMDB archive
| Map data |  emd_52470.map.gz | 956.2 KB |  EMDB map data format | |
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| Header (meta data) |  emd-52470-v30.xml  emd-52470.xml | 12.6 KB 12.6 KB | Display Display |  EMDB header | 
| Images |  emd_52470.png | 24.9 KB | ||
| Masks |  emd_52470_msk_1.map | 1 MB |  Mask map | |
| Filedesc metadata |  emd-52470.cif.gz | 4.2 KB | ||
| Others |  emd_52470_half_map_1.map.gz  emd_52470_half_map_2.map.gz | 957.2 KB 957 KB | ||
| Archive directory |  http://ftp.pdbj.org/pub/emdb/structures/EMD-52470  ftp://ftp.pdbj.org/pub/emdb/structures/EMD-52470 | HTTPS FTP | 
-Validation report
| Summary document |  emd_52470_validation.pdf.gz | 693.4 KB | Display |  EMDB validaton report | 
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| Full document |  emd_52470_full_validation.pdf.gz | 693 KB | Display | |
| Data in XML |  emd_52470_validation.xml.gz | 7.2 KB | Display | |
| Data in CIF |  emd_52470_validation.cif.gz | 8.4 KB | Display | |
| Arichive directory |  https://ftp.pdbj.org/pub/emdb/validation_reports/EMD-52470  ftp://ftp.pdbj.org/pub/emdb/validation_reports/EMD-52470 | HTTPS FTP | 
-Related structure data
- Links
Links
| EMDB pages |  EMDB (EBI/PDBe) /  EMDataResource | 
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- Map
Map
| File |  Download / File: emd_52470.map.gz / Format: CCP4 / Size: 1 MB / Type: IMAGE STORED AS FLOATING POINT NUMBER (4 BYTES) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Projections & slices | Image control
 
 Images are generated by Spider. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Voxel size | X=Y=Z: 5.356 Å | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Density | 
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| Symmetry | Space group: 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Details | EMDB XML: 
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-Supplemental data
-Mask #1
| File |  emd_52470_msk_1.map | ||||||||||||
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| Projections & Slices | 
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| Density Histograms | 
-Half map: #1
| File | emd_52470_half_map_1.map | ||||||||||||
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| Projections & Slices | 
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| Density Histograms | 
-Half map: #2
| File | emd_52470_half_map_2.map | ||||||||||||
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| Projections & Slices | 
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| Density Histograms | 
- Sample components
Sample components
-Entire : microtubule structure of Asgard tubulins AtubA/B2
| Entire | Name: microtubule structure of Asgard tubulins AtubA/B2 | 
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| Components | 
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-Supramolecule #1: microtubule structure of Asgard tubulins AtubA/B2
| Supramolecule | Name: microtubule structure of Asgard tubulins AtubA/B2 / type: complex / ID: 1 / Parent: 0 / Macromolecule list: #1-#2 | 
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| Source (natural) | Organism:  Candidatus Lokiarchaeum ossiferum (archaea) | 
-Experimental details
-Structure determination
| Method | cryo EM | 
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|  Processing | subtomogram averaging | 
| Aggregation state | filament | 
- Sample preparation
Sample preparation
| Buffer | pH: 6.8 | 
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| Vitrification | Cryogen name: ETHANE-PROPANE | 
- Electron microscopy
Electron microscopy
| Microscope | TFS KRIOS | 
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| Image recording | Film or detector model: GATAN K3 (6k x 4k) / Average electron dose: 3.2 e/Å2 | 
| Electron beam | Acceleration voltage: 300 kV / Electron source:  FIELD EMISSION GUN | 
| Electron optics | Illumination mode: FLOOD BEAM / Imaging mode: BRIGHT FIELD / Nominal defocus max: 5.0 µm / Nominal defocus min: 2.0 µm | 
| Experimental equipment |  Model: Titan Krios / Image courtesy: FEI Company | 
- Image processing
Image processing
| Final reconstruction | Applied symmetry - Point group: C1 (asymmetric) / Resolution.type: BY AUTHOR / Resolution: 23.0 Å / Resolution method: FSC 0.143 CUT-OFF / Number subtomograms used: 6362 | 
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| Extraction | Number tomograms: 9 / Number images used: 6362 | 
| CTF correction | Type: PHASE FLIPPING ONLY | 
| Final angle assignment | Type: ANGULAR RECONSTITUTION | 
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