Small GTPases and the evolution of the eukaryotic cell
Abstract
The origin of eukaryotes is one of the major challenges of evolutionary cell biology. Other than the endosymbiotic origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts, the steps leading to eukaryotic endomembranes and endoskeleton are poorly understood. Ras‐family small GTPases are key regulators of cytoskeleton dynamics, vesicular trafficking and nuclear function. They are specific for eukaryotes and their expansion probably traces the evolution of core eukaryote features. The phylogeny of small GTPases suggests that the first endomembranes to evolve during eukaryote evolution had secretory, and not phagocytic, function. Based on the reconstruction of putative roles for ancestral small GTPases, a hypothetical scenario on the origins of the first endomembranes, the nucleus, and phagocytosis is presented. BioEssays 25:1129–1138, 2003. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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The Rho family is one of the 7 eukaryotic GTPase families that collectively comprise the Ras superfamily.
“The Rho family is one of the 7 eukaryotic GTPase families that collectively comprise the Ras superfamily [121,122].”
From The origins of phagocytosis and eukaryogenesis (2009) · cites this paper as [122]
Bacterial small GTPases of the MglA family appeared to be the closest prokaryotic relatives of the Ras GTPases and were used to root the Ras phylogenetic tree prior to the discovery of closer prokaryotic Ras homologs.
“Bacterial small GTPases of the MglA family appeared to be the closest prokaryotic relatives of the Ras GTPases [121] and were used to root the Ras phylogenetic tree [122] prior to the recent discovery of a set of previously unknown, closer prokaryotic Ras homologs [123].”
From The origins of phagocytosis and eukaryogenesis (2009) · cites this paper as [122]
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References 80 · Cited by 137
- Authors
- Jékely, G.
- Affiliations
- Collegium Budapest (HU)
- Corresponding author
- Jékely, Gáspár
- ORCID
- Jékely, Gáspár
- Venue
- BioEssays
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2003-10-17
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1129-1138
- ISSN
- 0265-9247 (ISSN-L)
- 1521-1878
- OpenAlex
- W1997302304
- Cited by
- 137
- References
- 80
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 0.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- BioEssays (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Cellular transport and secretion
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
- Keywords
- small GTPases, Ras family, eukaryotic origin, eukaryotic evolution, endomembranes, endoskeleton, cytoskeletal dynamics, vesicle trafficking, nuclear function, phagocytosis, secretory function, endosymbiosis
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Cell Nucleus, Eukaryotic Cells, Biological Evolution, Intracellular Membranes, Mitosis, Molecular Sequence Data, Phagocytosis, Phylogeny, ras Proteins, GTP Phosphohydrolases
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