Reconstructing the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes

by Thomas A. Richards, Laura Eme, John M. Archibald, Guy Leonard, Susana M. Coelho, Alex de Mendoza, Christophe Dessimoz, Pavel Dolezal, Lillian K. Fritz-Laylin, Toni Gabaldón, Vladimír Hampl, Geert J. P. L. Kops, Michelle M. Leger, Purificacion Lopez-Garcia, James O. McInerney, David Moreira, Sergio A. Muñoz-Gómez, Daniel J. Richter, Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo, Alyson E. Santoro, Arnau Sebé-Pedrós, Berend Snel, Courtney W. Stairs, Eelco C. Tromer, Jolien J. E. van Hooff, Bill Wickstead, Tom A. Williams, Andrew J. Roger, Joel B. Dacks, Jeremy G. Wideman

Understanding the origin of eukaryotic cells is one of the most difficult problems in all of biology. A key challenge relevant to the question of eukaryogenesis is reconstructing the gene repertoire of the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA). As data sets grow, sketching an accurate genomics-informed picture of early eukaryotic cellular complexity requires provision of analytical resources and a commitment to data sharing. Here, we summarise progress towards understanding the biology of LECA and outline a community approach to inferring its wider gene repertoire. Once assembled, a robust LECA gene set will be a useful tool for evaluating alternative hypotheses about the origin of eukaryotes and understanding the evolution of traits in all descendant lineages, with relevance in diverse fields such as cell biology, microbial ecology, biotechnology, agriculture, and medicine. In this Consensus View, we put forth the status quo and an agreed path forward to reconstruct LECA’s gene content.