Despite its relatively short history, microbial systematics has never been static but rather
constantly subject to change. The evidence of this change is provided by many …

The synthesis of ATP, life's “universal energy currency,” is the most prevalent chemical
reaction in biological systems and is responsible for fueling nearly all cellular processes …

The timing of early cellular evolution, from the divergence of Archaea and Bacteria to the
origin of eukaryotes, is poorly constrained. The ATP synthase complex is thought to have …

The genome of the eukaryotic protist Giardia lamblia, an important human intestinal parasite,
is compact in structure and content, contains few introns or mitochondrial relics, and has …

Current understanding of the higher order systematics of eukaryotes relies largely on
analyses of the small ribosomal subunit RNA (SSU rRNA). Independent testing of these …

Most cultivated and characterized eukaryotes can be confidently assigned to one of eight
major groups. After a few false starts, we are beginning to resolve relationships among these …

The eukaryotic V-type adenosine triphosphatase (V-ATPase) is a multi-subunit membrane
protein complex that is evolutionarily related to F-type adenosine triphosphate (ATP) …

Vase-shaped microfossils (VSMs) occur globally in Neoproterozoic rocks, but until now their
biological relationships have remained problematic. Exceptionally preserved new …

In the late 1970s, on the basis of rRNA phylogeny, Archaea (archaebacteria) was identified
as a distinct domain of life besides Bacteria (eubacteria) and Eucarya. Though forming a …

Thanks to advances in next-generation technologies, genome sequences are now being
generated at breadth (eg across environments) and depth (thousands of closely related …