Protein sequences bound to mineral surfaces persist into deep time

Beatrice Demarchi; Shaun Hall; Teresa Roncal-Herrero; Colin L. Freeman; Jos Woolley; Molly K. Crisp; Julie Wilson; Anna Fotakis; Roman Fischer; Benedikt M. Kessler; Rosa Rakownikow Jersie-Christensen; Jesper V. Olsen; James Haile; Jessica Thomas; Curtis Marean; John Parkington; Samantha Presslee; Julia Lee-Thorp; Peter Ditchfield; Jacqueline F. Hamilton; Martyn W. Ward; Chunting Michelle Wang; Marvin D. Shaw; Terry Harrison; Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo; Ross D E Macphee; Amandus Kwekason; Michaela Ecker; Liora Kolska Horwitz; Michael Chazan; Roland Kroger; Jane Thomas-Oates; John H. Harding; Enrico Cappellini; Kirsty Penkman; Matthew J. Collins

doi:10.7554/eLife.17092

Protein sequences bound to mineral surfaces persist into deep time

Beatrice Demarchi, Shaun Hall, Teresa Roncal-Herrero, Colin L. Freeman, Jos Woolley, Molly K. Crisp, Julie Wilson, Anna Fotakis, Roman Fischer, Benedikt M. Kessler, Rosa Rakownikow Jersie-Christensen, Jesper V. Olsen, James Haile, Jessica Thomas, Curtis Marean, John Parkington, Samantha Presslee, Julia Lee-Thorp, Peter Ditchfield, Jacqueline F. HamiltonMartyn W. Ward, Chunting Michelle Wang, Marvin D. Shaw, Terry Harrison, Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo, Ross D E Macphee, Amandus Kwekason, Michaela Ecker, Liora Kolska Horwitz, Michael Chazan, Roland Kroger, Jane Thomas-Oates, John H. Harding, Enrico Cappellini, Kirsty Penkman, Matthew J. Collins

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

152 Scopus citations

Abstract

Proteins persist longer in the fossil record than DNA, but the longevity, survival mechanisms and substrates remain contested. Here, we demonstrate the role of mineral binding in preserving the protein sequence in ostrich (Struthionidae) eggshell, including from the palaeontological sites of Laetoli (3.8 Ma) and Olduvai Gorge (1.3 Ma) in Tanzania. By trackingprotein diagenesis back in time we find consistent patterns of preservation, demonstratingauthenticity of the surviving sequences. Molecular dynamics simulations of struthiocalcin-1 and -2, the dominant proteins within the eggshell, reveal that distinct domains bind to the mineral surface. It is the domain with the strongest calculated binding energy to the calcite surface that is selectively preserved. Thermal age calculations demonstrate that the Laetoli and Olduvai peptides are 50 times older than any previously authenticated sequence (equivalent to ~16 Ma at a constant 10°C).

Original language	English (US)
Article number	e17092
Journal	eLife
Volume	5
Issue number	September
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.17092
State	Published - Sep 27 2016

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Neuroscience
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Immunology and Microbiology

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Demarchi, B., Hall, S., Roncal-Herrero, T., Freeman, C. L., Woolley, J., Crisp, M. K., Wilson, J., Fotakis, A., Fischer, R., Kessler, B. M., Jersie-Christensen, R. R., Olsen, J. V., Haile, J., Thomas, J., Marean, C., Parkington, J., Presslee, S., Lee-Thorp, J., Ditchfield, P., ... Collins, M. J. (2016). Protein sequences bound to mineral surfaces persist into deep time. eLife, 5(September), Article e17092. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.17092

Demarchi, B, Hall, S, Roncal-Herrero, T, Freeman, CL, Woolley, J, Crisp, MK, Wilson, J, Fotakis, A, Fischer, R, Kessler, BM, Jersie-Christensen, RR, Olsen, JV, Haile, J, Thomas, J, Marean, C, Parkington, J, Presslee, S, Lee-Thorp, J, Ditchfield, P, Hamilton, JF, Ward, MW, Wang, CM, Shaw, MD, Harrison, T, Domínguez-Rodrigo, M, Macphee, RDE, Kwekason, A, Ecker, M, Horwitz, LK, Chazan, M, Kroger, R, Thomas-Oates, J, Harding, JH, Cappellini, E, Penkman, K & Collins, MJ 2016, 'Protein sequences bound to mineral surfaces persist into deep time', eLife, vol. 5, no. September, e17092. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.17092

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title = "Protein sequences bound to mineral surfaces persist into deep time",

abstract = "Proteins persist longer in the fossil record than DNA, but the longevity, survival mechanisms and substrates remain contested. Here, we demonstrate the role of mineral binding in preserving the protein sequence in ostrich (Struthionidae) eggshell, including from the palaeontological sites of Laetoli (3.8 Ma) and Olduvai Gorge (1.3 Ma) in Tanzania. By trackingprotein diagenesis back in time we find consistent patterns of preservation, demonstratingauthenticity of the surviving sequences. Molecular dynamics simulations of struthiocalcin-1 and -2, the dominant proteins within the eggshell, reveal that distinct domains bind to the mineral surface. It is the domain with the strongest calculated binding energy to the calcite surface that is selectively preserved. Thermal age calculations demonstrate that the Laetoli and Olduvai peptides are 50 times older than any previously authenticated sequence (equivalent to ~16 Ma at a constant 10°C).",

author = "Beatrice Demarchi and Shaun Hall and Teresa Roncal-Herrero and Freeman, {Colin L.} and Jos Woolley and Crisp, {Molly K.} and Julie Wilson and Anna Fotakis and Roman Fischer and Kessler, {Benedikt M.} and Jersie-Christensen, {Rosa Rakownikow} and Olsen, {Jesper V.} and James Haile and Jessica Thomas and Curtis Marean and John Parkington and Samantha Presslee and Julia Lee-Thorp and Peter Ditchfield and Hamilton, {Jacqueline F.} and Ward, {Martyn W.} and Wang, {Chunting Michelle} and Shaw, {Marvin D.} and Terry Harrison and Manuel Dom{\'i}nguez-Rodrigo and Macphee, {Ross D E} and Amandus Kwekason and Michaela Ecker and Horwitz, {Liora Kolska} and Michael Chazan and Roland Kroger and Jane Thomas-Oates and Harding, {John H.} and Enrico Cappellini and Kirsty Penkman and Collins, {Matthew J.}",

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AU - Demarchi, Beatrice

AU - Hall, Shaun

AU - Roncal-Herrero, Teresa

AU - Freeman, Colin L.

AU - Woolley, Jos

AU - Crisp, Molly K.

AU - Wilson, Julie

AU - Fotakis, Anna

AU - Fischer, Roman

AU - Kessler, Benedikt M.

AU - Jersie-Christensen, Rosa Rakownikow

AU - Olsen, Jesper V.

AU - Haile, James

AU - Thomas, Jessica

AU - Marean, Curtis

AU - Parkington, John

AU - Presslee, Samantha

AU - Lee-Thorp, Julia

AU - Ditchfield, Peter

AU - Hamilton, Jacqueline F.

AU - Ward, Martyn W.

AU - Wang, Chunting Michelle

AU - Shaw, Marvin D.

AU - Harrison, Terry

AU - Domínguez-Rodrigo, Manuel

AU - Macphee, Ross D E

AU - Kwekason, Amandus

AU - Ecker, Michaela

AU - Horwitz, Liora Kolska

AU - Chazan, Michael

AU - Kroger, Roland

AU - Thomas-Oates, Jane

AU - Harding, John H.

AU - Cappellini, Enrico

AU - Penkman, Kirsty

AU - Collins, Matthew J.

PY - 2016/9/27

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N2 - Proteins persist longer in the fossil record than DNA, but the longevity, survival mechanisms and substrates remain contested. Here, we demonstrate the role of mineral binding in preserving the protein sequence in ostrich (Struthionidae) eggshell, including from the palaeontological sites of Laetoli (3.8 Ma) and Olduvai Gorge (1.3 Ma) in Tanzania. By trackingprotein diagenesis back in time we find consistent patterns of preservation, demonstratingauthenticity of the surviving sequences. Molecular dynamics simulations of struthiocalcin-1 and -2, the dominant proteins within the eggshell, reveal that distinct domains bind to the mineral surface. It is the domain with the strongest calculated binding energy to the calcite surface that is selectively preserved. Thermal age calculations demonstrate that the Laetoli and Olduvai peptides are 50 times older than any previously authenticated sequence (equivalent to ~16 Ma at a constant 10°C).

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Protein sequences bound to mineral surfaces persist into deep time

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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