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Evidence for an early prokaryotic endosymbiosis

Author

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  • James A. Lake

    (Cellular and Developmental Biology
    Molecular Biology Institute,
    Department of Human Genetics,
    UCLA Astrobiology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA)

Abstract

Intracellular structure: bacterial combinations Endosymbiosis, or the fusion of different forms of life to create a new and more complex whole, is thought to have been important in the evolution of complex cells. The discrete compartments of cells — the nuclei, mitochondria and so on — are the remnants of once-independent organisms. But did endosymbiosis play a role in the evolution of simpler organisms, such as bacteria? This has not usually been considered, given that these organisms do not have a compartmentalized internal structure. However, many successful and important bacteria have double-layered cell membranes, and in a Hypothesis feature, James Lake suggests that this is the relic of a fusion between two different bacterial cell types, the clostridia and the actinobacteria.

Suggested Citation

  • James A. Lake, 2009. "Evidence for an early prokaryotic endosymbiosis," Nature, Nature, vol. 460(7258), pages 967-971, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:460:y:2009:i:7258:d:10.1038_nature08183
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08183
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