Genomic clues to the origin of eukaryotic cells

Archibald, John M.

doi:10.1038/d41586-025-04094-1

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14 January 2026

Genomic clues to the origin of eukaryotic cells

How did eukaryotic cells with complex architecture evolve from simpler prokaryotic cells? DNA analyses offer possible answers.

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John M. Archibald ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7255-780X⁰

John M. Archibald
1. John M. Archibald is in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4H7, Canada, and also at the Institute for Comparative Genomics, Dalhousie University.
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Cells can be divided into two types: eukaryotic and prokaryotic. Eukaryotic cells are a complex marvel. With features such as membrane-bound nuclei, a rigid internal structure called the cytoskeleton and energy-converting organelles termed mitochondria, eukaryotic cells are much more elaborate than prokaryotic cells (those of bacteria and microorganisms called archaea), and their genomes are larger and more gene-rich, too. Although some aspects of eukaryotic complexity have been found in certain archaea¹^,², the gulf between eukaryotes and prokaryotes remains wide, and precisely when and how the eukaryotic cell arose from simpler cellular forms is controversial³^,⁴. Writing in Nature, Kay et al.⁵ and Tobiasson et al.⁶ tackle fundamental questions about the origin of eukaryotic cells.

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Nature 650, 42-44 (2026)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-04094-1

References

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The author declares no competing interests.

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[1] Spang, A. et al. Nature 521, 173–179 (2015).
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[2] Zaremba-Niedzwiedzka, K. et al. Nature 541, 353–358 (2017).
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[3] Vosseberg, J. et al. Nature 633, 295–305 (2024).
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[4] Richards, T. A. et al. PLoS Biol. 22, e3002917 (2024).
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[5] Kay, C. J. et al. Nature 650, 129–140 (2025).
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[6] Tobiasson, V., Luo, J., Wolf, Y. I. & Koonin, E. V. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09960-6 (2026).
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[7] Donoghue, P. C. J. et al. Curr. Biol. 33, R919–R929 (2023).
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[8] Poulton, S. W. et al. Nature 592, 232–236 (2021).
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[9] Imachi, H. et al. Nature 577, 519–525 (2020).
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[10] Rodrigues-Oliveira, T. et al. Nature 613, 332–339 (2023).
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[11] Eme, L. et al. Nature 618, 992–999 (2023).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

[12] Santana-Molina, C., Williams, T. A., Snel, B. & Spang, A. Nature Ecol. Evol. 9, 613–627 (2025).
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Genomic clues to the origin of eukaryotic cells

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