TY - JOUR
T1 - Biochemical and evolutionary aspects of anaerobically functioning mitochondria
AU - Van Hellemond, Jaap J.
AU - Van Der Klei, Anita
AU - Van Weelden, Susanne W.H.
AU - Tielens, Aloysius G.M.
AU - Horner, D. S.
AU - Martin, W.
AU - Cavalier-Smith, T.
AU - Allen, J. F.
AU - Ferguson, S.
AU - Tovar, J.
PY - 2003/1/29
Y1 - 2003/1/29
N2 - Mitochondria are usually considered to be the powerhouses of the cell and to be responsible for the aerobic production of ATP. However, many eukaryotic organisms are known to possess anaerobically functioning mitochondria, which differ significantly from classical aerobically functioning mitochondria. Recently, functional and phylogenetic studies on some enzymes involved clearly indicated an unexpected evolutionary relationship between these anaerobically functioning mitochondria and the classical aerobic type. Mitochondria evolved by an endosymbiotic event between an anaerobically functioning archaebacterial host and an aerobic α-proteobacterium. However, true anaerobically functioning mitochondria, such as found in parasitic helminths and some lower marine organisms, most likely did not originate directly from the pluripotent ancestral mitochondrion, but arose later in evolution from the aerobic type of mitochondria after these were already adapted to an aerobic way of life by losing their anaerobic capacities. This review will focus on some biochemical and evolutionary aspects of these fermentative mitochondria, with special attention to fumarate reductase, the synthesis of the rhodoquinone involved, and the enzymes involved in acetate production (acetate: succinate CoA-transferase and succinyl CoA-synthetase).
AB - Mitochondria are usually considered to be the powerhouses of the cell and to be responsible for the aerobic production of ATP. However, many eukaryotic organisms are known to possess anaerobically functioning mitochondria, which differ significantly from classical aerobically functioning mitochondria. Recently, functional and phylogenetic studies on some enzymes involved clearly indicated an unexpected evolutionary relationship between these anaerobically functioning mitochondria and the classical aerobic type. Mitochondria evolved by an endosymbiotic event between an anaerobically functioning archaebacterial host and an aerobic α-proteobacterium. However, true anaerobically functioning mitochondria, such as found in parasitic helminths and some lower marine organisms, most likely did not originate directly from the pluripotent ancestral mitochondrion, but arose later in evolution from the aerobic type of mitochondria after these were already adapted to an aerobic way of life by losing their anaerobic capacities. This review will focus on some biochemical and evolutionary aspects of these fermentative mitochondria, with special attention to fumarate reductase, the synthesis of the rhodoquinone involved, and the enzymes involved in acetate production (acetate: succinate CoA-transferase and succinyl CoA-synthetase).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037471692&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1098/rstb.2002.1182
DO - 10.1098/rstb.2002.1182
M3 - Article
C2 - 12594928
AN - SCOPUS:0037471692
SN - 0962-8436
VL - 358
SP - 205
EP - 215
JO - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
JF - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
IS - 1429
ER -