Eukaryotic domestication of a TIR bacterial immune protein following horizontal transfer
Edward M. Culbertson, Emily Cruz-Lorenzo, Jocelyn Leon Padilla, Megan Halfmann, James R. Drurey, Jeffrey J. Lange, Yao Li, Neha Garlapati, Harshitha Gompa, Benjamin R. Morehouse, Randal Halfmann, Tera C. Levin
This study identifies a horizontal transfer of a bacterial TIR immune protein to amoebae, showing how it was domesticated into eukaryotic physiology through functional adaptation.
bioRxiv · Oct 16, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology