MADRID, June 11 (EUROPA PRESS) –
A new study has redefined our understanding of archaea, a microbial ancestor of humans from two billion years ago, by showing how they use hydrogen gas.
The findings, published in Cell, explain how these tiny life forms generate energy by consuming and producing hydrogen. This simple but reliable strategy has allowed them to thrive in some of the harshest environments on Earth for billions of years.
The paper, led by scientists from Monash University’s Biomedical Discovery Institute, including Professor Chris Greening, Professor Jill Banfield and Dr Bob Leung, rewrites the textbook on basic biology.
Dr. Bob Leung said this discovery about one of the oldest forms of existence on Earth may also support human existence, including the ideation of new ways to use hydrogen for a future green economy.
“Humans just started thinking about using hydrogen as an energy source, but archaea have been doing it for billions of years. Biotechnologists now have the opportunity to draw inspiration from these archaea to produce hydrogen industrially.”
THREE WAYS OF LIFE
At the top of the pyramid of life there are three “domains” of life: eukaryotes (which include animals, plants and fungi), bacteria and archaea. Archaea are single-celled organisms that can live in the most extreme environments on Earth. The most accepted scientific theory also suggests that eukaryotes, like humans, evolved from a very ancient lineage of archaea that They fused with a bacterial cell by exchanging hydrogen gas.
“Our finding brings us one step closer to understanding how this crucial process gave rise to all eukaryotes, including humans,” says Leung.
The team analyzed the genomes of thousands of archaea for hydrogen-producing enzymes and then produced the enzymes in the laboratory to study their characteristics. They discovered that some archaea use unusual types of enzymes called [FeFe]-hydrogenases.
The archaea that produce these hydrogen-using enzymes have been found in many of Earth’s most challenging environments, including hot springs, oil deposits, and deep under the seafloor.
These hydrogenases were thought to be restricted to only two “domains” of life: eukaryotes and bacteria. Here, the team has shown that they are present in archaea for the first time and that they are remarkably diverse in form and function.
Archaea not only have the smallest hydrogen-using enzymes, but they also have the most complex hydrogen-using enzymes.
The paper shows that some archaea have the smallest hydrogen-producing enzymes of all life forms on Earth. This could offer optimized solutions for biological hydrogen production in industrial settings.
Professor Chris Greening said these discoveries about how archaea use hydrogen They have potential applications for the transition to a green economy.
“The industry currently uses precious chemical catalysts to use hydrogen. However, we know from nature that the function of biological catalysts can be very efficient and resilient. Can we use them to improve the way we use hydrogen?”
With ancient origins and potential applications in biotechnology, archaea continue to captivate researchers and offer promising avenues for future discoveries and applications.
