The emerging view on the origin and early evolution of eukaryotic cells

Julian Vosseberg, Jolien J E van Hooff, Stephan Köstlbacher, Kassiani Panagiotou, Daniel Tamarit, Thijs J G Ettema*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

The origin of the eukaryotic cell, with its compartmentalized nature and generally large size compared with bacterial and archaeal cells, represents a cornerstone event in the evolution of complex life on Earth. In a process referred to as eukaryogenesis, the eukaryotic cell is believed to have evolved between approximately 1.8 and 2.7 billion years ago from its archaeal ancestors, with a symbiosis with a bacterial (proto-mitochondrial) partner being a key event. In the tree of life, the branch separating the first from the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes is long and lacks evolutionary intermediates. As a result, the timing and driving forces of the emergence of complex eukaryotic features remain poorly understood. During the past decade, environmental and comparative genomic studies have revealed vital details about the identity and nature of the host cell and the proto-mitochondrial endosymbiont, enabling a critical reappraisal of hypotheses underlying the symbiotic origin of the eukaryotic cell. Here we outline our current understanding of the key players and events underlying the emergence of cellular complexity during the prokaryote-to-eukaryote transition and discuss potential avenues of future research that might provide new insights into the enigmatic origin of the eukaryotic cell.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)295-305
Number of pages11
JournalNature
Volume633
Issue number8029
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Sept 2024

Keywords

  • Animals
  • Archaea/genetics
  • Bacteria/genetics
  • Biological Evolution
  • Eukaryota/genetics
  • Eukaryotic Cells/cytology
  • Mitochondria/genetics
  • Phylogeny
  • Prokaryotic Cells/cytology
  • Symbiosis

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