Microtubules in Asgard archaea

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.