Cited by 457Protist diversity and phylogenyPhotosynthetic Processes and MechanismsChromosomal and Genetic Variations

Endosymbiotic theory for organelle origins

Zimorski, Verena, Ku, Chuan, Martin, William F, Gould, Sven B·2014·Current Opinion in Microbiology

Abstract

Endosymbiotic theory goes back over 100 years. It explains the similarity of chloroplasts and mitochondria to free-living prokaryotes by suggesting that the organelles arose from prokaryotes through (endo)symbiosis. Gene trees provide important evidence in favour of symbiotic theory at a coarse-grained level, but the finer we get into the details of branches in trees containing dozens or hundreds of taxa, the more equivocal evidence for endosymbiotic events sometimes becomes. It seems that either the interpretation of some endosymbiotic events are wrong, or something is wrong with the interpretations of some gene trees having many leaves. There is a need for evidence that is independent of gene trees and that can help outline the course of symbiosis in eukaryote evolution. Protein import is the strongest evidence we have for the single origin of chloroplasts and mitochondria. It is probably also the strongest evidence we have to sort out the number and nature of secondary endosymbiotic events that have occurred in evolution involving the red plastid lineage. If we relax our interpretation of individual gene trees, endosymbiotic theory can tell us a lot.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.mib.2014.09.008

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Authors
Zimorski, V., Ku, C., Martin, W. F., & Gould, S. B.
Affiliations
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (DE)
Venue
Current Opinion in Microbiology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-12
Volume
22
Pages
38-48
ISSN
1369-5274 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2060804705
Cited by
453
References
102
Citations by year
2026: 27 · 2025: 50 · 2024: 53 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 44 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 36 · 2019: 39 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 30 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 6
FWCI
3.33
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Current Opinion in Microbiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • European Research Council (232975)
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (GO1825/4-1)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protist diversity and phylogeny
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
Keywords
endosymbiotic theory, organelle origin, chloroplasts, mitochondria, secondary endosymbiosis, gene trees, protein import, eukaryotic evolution, symbiosis
MeSH terms
Adenosine Triphosphate, Cyanobacteria, Eukaryotic Cells, Mitochondria, Prokaryotic Cells, Symbiosis, Organelles, Protein Transport

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