Archaea articles from across Nature Portfolio

Methanogens conserve energy through methane generation, however the biochemical details of anaerobic respiration in methanogens remain unclear. Here, authors show a multiheme c-type cytochrome, MmcA, plays a critical role in methanogenesis and anaerobic respiration.

Diverse bacteria can use the low levels of hydrogen and carbon monoxide present in the air as energy sources for growth and survival. Here, Leung et al. show that ability is also found in thermophilic archaea of the order Sulfolobales.

Phylogenetic analysis of halophilic archaea, including two previously undescribed clades, reveals four independent evolutionary adaptations to hypersaline environments, caused by duplications and horizontal gene transfers.

Photosynthesis reaction centre barrel proteins are important components of the FtsZ-based cell division apparatus in Haloferax volcanii and other archaea.

During archaeal cell division, proteins containing photosynthetic reaction centre domains enable the formation of a defined cell division plane by direct interaction with SepF.

Two studies describe the discovery of proteins that harbour a photosynthetic reaction centre barrel domain and play pivotal roles in FtsZ-mediated cell division in archaea, with the photosynthetic reaction centre fold itself emerging as a key player in executing cytokinesis across archaea.

In this Journal Club, Anja Spang discusses the discovery of nanosized archaea, transforming our knowledge of archaeal phylogeny and shedding light on their roles in ecology and evolution.

CRISPR systems canonically confer microorganisms with protection against invading viral DNA, plasmids and mobile genetic elements, however a multi-omics investigation of deep subsurface archaeal communities suggests that archaeal CRISPR systems might target other archaeal parasites or force a transition from parasitism to mutualism.

This study shows that Haloferax volcanii uses its type IV pili for cell attachment to a surface and mechanical cohesion between cells under flow conditions, thus promoting biofilm development.

In this study, Catchpole et al. identify the first self-transmissible conjugative plasmid in the euryarchaeon Thermococcus sp. 33-3 and use it to genetically modify diverse hyperthermophilic archaea.

This Genome Watch highlights the recent developments of prokaryotic nomenclature leading to the coexistence of two parallel prokaryotic nomenclatural codes.