What is it about?
The enigmatic origin of the eukaryotic cellular membrane is a major gap in our understanding of eukaryogenesis. This study focuses on the evolution of one of the three major lipid membrane components to shed light on the evolutionary trajectory of the eukaryotic cellular membrane.
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Why is it important?
The establishment of the eukaryotic cellular membrane was critical to the evolution of eukaryotes. Our results suggest the contribution of aerobic deltaproteobacteria (myxobacteria) to the evolution of the eukaryotic cellular membrane. This adds another important example to the bacterial-eukaryotic interactions during eukaryogenesis, in addition to the well-known alphaproteobacteria (later mitochondria).
Perspectives
Our results suggest a close relationship between deltaproteobacteria and early eukaryotes and have an implication for the so-called syntrophic model of eukaryogenesis. Deltaproteobacteria and eukaryotes may have coevolved in close proximity for a particular amount of time, during which a deltaproteobacterial, syntrophic partner gradually evolved into myxobacteria, acquired (or evolved) steroid biosynthesis genes, and transferred those genes to a eukaryotic partner. Our study suggests necessary modifications of the current eukaryogenesis models to accommodate the important relationship between aerobic deltaproteobacteria (myxobacteria) and early eukaryotes.
Yosuke Hoshino
Georgia State University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Evolution of bacterial steroid biosynthesis and its impact on eukaryogenesis, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, June 2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2101276118.
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