Mitochondrial and plastid evolution in eukaryotes: an outsiders' perspective.

Full Abstract

The eukaryotic organelles mitochondrion and plastid originated from eubacterial endosymbionts. Here we propose that, in both cases, prokaryote-to-organelle conversion was driven by the internalization of host-encoded factors progressing from the outer membrane of the endosymbionts towards the intermembrane space, inner membrane and finally the organelle interior. This was made possible by an outside-to-inside establishment in the endosymbionts of host-controlled protein-sorting components, which enabled the gradual integration of organelle functions into the nuclear genome. Such a convergent trajectory for mitochondrion and plastid establishment suggests a novel paradigm for organelle evolution that affects theories of eukaryogenesis.

Author information

Author/s: Gross, Jeferson (J); Bhattacharya, Debashish (D);

Affiliation: Department of Biology, Roy J. Carver Center for Comparative Genomics, University of Iowa, 446 Biology Building, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.; Review

Journal: Nature reviews. Genetics (Nat Rev Genet), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Jul; vol 10 (issue 7) : pp 495-505

Dates: Created 2009/06/18; Completed 2009/07/07; Revised 2009/08/25;

PMID: 19506574, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 8/25/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

ErratumIn: Nat Rev Genet. 2009 Sep;10(9):657.

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