Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC location, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Bioessays. 2024 May;46(5):e2300193. doi: 10.1002/bies.202300193. Epub 2024 Mar 6.
Inner membranes of mitochondria are extensively folded, forming cristae. The observed overall correlation between efficient eukaryotic ATP generation and the area of internal mitochondrial inner membranes both in unicellular organisms and metazoan tissues seems to explain why they evolved. However, the crucial use of molecular oxygen (O) as final acceptor of the electron transport chain is still not sufficiently appreciated. O was an essential prerequisite for cristae development during early eukaryogenesis and could be the factor allowing cristae retention upon loss of mitochondrial ATP generation. Here I analyze illuminating bacterial and unicellular eukaryotic examples. I also discuss formative influences of intracellular O consumption on the evolution of the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA). These considerations bring about an explanation for the many genes coming from other organisms than the archaeon and bacterium merging at the start of eukaryogenesis.
线粒体的内膜广泛折叠，形成嵴。在单细胞生物和后生动物组织中，观察到有效的真核细胞 ATP 生成与线粒体内部内膜的总面积之间存在总体相关性，这似乎解释了嵴的进化原因。然而，分子氧 (O) 作为电子传递链的最终受体的关键作用仍未得到充分重视。O 是早期真核生物发生过程中嵴发展的必要前提，并且可能是在失去线粒体 ATP 生成时保留嵴的因素。在这里，我分析了有启发性的细菌和单细胞真核生物的例子。我还讨论了细胞内 O 消耗对最后真核生物共同祖先 (LECA) 进化的形成影响。这些考虑为真核生物发生开始时来自古菌和细菌以外的其他生物体的许多基因的融合提供了一个解释。
