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Mitochondrial Origin Theories Explained

The document discusses the two main hypotheses regarding the origin of mitochondria: the endosymbiotic hypothesis, which posits that mitochondria evolved from prokaryotic cells that became symbiotic with eukaryotes, and the autogenous hypothesis, suggesting they originated from eukaryotic DNA. It also details the structure and function of mitochondrial DNA, its evolutionary significance, and the existence of vestigial mitochondria in certain unicellular eukaryotes. The endosymbiotic relationship is believed to have provided evolutionary advantages, developing around 1.7 to 2 billion years ago.

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10 views2 pages

Mitochondrial Origin Theories Explained

The document discusses the two main hypotheses regarding the origin of mitochondria: the endosymbiotic hypothesis, which posits that mitochondria evolved from prokaryotic cells that became symbiotic with eukaryotes, and the autogenous hypothesis, suggesting they originated from eukaryotic DNA. It also details the structure and function of mitochondrial DNA, its evolutionary significance, and the existence of vestigial mitochondria in certain unicellular eukaryotes. The endosymbiotic relationship is believed to have provided evolutionary advantages, developing around 1.7 to 2 billion years ago.

Uploaded by

aishatumuhammadnasir303
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CHAPTER THREE

ORIGIN OF MITOCHONDRIAL

There are two hypotheses about the origin of mitochondria: endosymbiotic and autogenous. The
endosymbiotic hypothesis suggests that mitochondria were originally prokaryotic cells, capable of
implementing oxidative mechanisms that were not possible for eukaryotic cells; they became
endosymbionts living inside the eukaryote. In the autogenous hypothesis, mitochondria were born by
splitting off a portion of DNA from the nucleus of the eukaryotic cell at the time of divergence with the
prokaryotes; this DNA portion would have been enclosed by membranes, which could not be crossed by
proteins. Since mitochondria have many features in common with bacteria, the endosymbiotic
hypothesis is the more widely accepted of the two accounts.

A mitochondrion contains DNA, which is organized as several copies of a single, usually circular
chromosome. This mitochondrial chromosome contains genes for redox proteins, such as those of the
respiratory chain. The CoRR hypothesis proposes that this co-location is required for redox regulation.
The mitochondrial genome codes for some RNAs of ribosomes, and the 22 tRNAs necessary for the
translation of mRNAs into protein. The circular structure is also found in prokaryotes. The proto-
mitochondrion was probably closely related to Rickettsia. However, the exact relationship of the
ancestor of mitochondria to the alphaproteobacteria and whether the mitochondrion was formed at the
same time or after the nucleus, remains controversial. For example, it has been suggested that the
SAR11 clade of bacteria shares a relatively recent common ancestor with the mitochondria, while
phylogenomic analyses indicate that mitochondria evolved from a Pseudomonadota lineage that is
closely related to or a member of alphaproteobacteria. Some papers describe mitochondria as sister to
the alphaproteobactera, together forming the sister the marineproteo1 group, together forming the
sister to Magnetococcidae.

The endosymbiotic relationship of mitochondria with their host cells was popularized by Lynn Margulis.
The endosymbiotic hypothesis suggests that mitochondria descended from aerobic bacteria that
somehow survived endocytosis by another cell, and became incorporated into the cytoplasm. The ability
of these bacteria to conduct respiration in host cells that had relied on glycolysis and fermentation
would have provided a considerable evolutionary advantage. This symbiotic relationship probably
developed 1.7 to 2 billion years ago.

MITOCHONDRIA EVOLUTION

A few groups of unicellular eukaryotes have only vestigial mitochondria or derived structures: The
microsporidians, metamonads, and archamoebae. These groups appear as the most primitive
eukaryotes on phylogenetic trees constructed using rRNA information, which once suggested that they
appeared before the origin of mitochondria. However, this is now known to be an artifact of long-branch
attraction: They are derived groups and retain genes or organelles derived from mitochondria (e. g.,
mitosomes and hydrogenosomes). Hydrogenosomes, mitosomes, and related organelles as found in
some loricifera (e. g. Spinoloricus) and myxozoa (e. g. Henneguya zschokkei) are together classified as
MROs, mitochondrion-related organelles.

Monocercomonoides and other oxymonads appear to have lost their mitochondria completely and at
least some of the mitochondrial functions seem to be carried out by cytoplasmic proteins now.

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