See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/12831763

The origin of eukaryotes: The difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Article in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · September 1999
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.1999.0817 · Source: PubMed

CITATIONS READS

73 3,113
2 authors, including:

52 PUBLICATIONS
3,937 CITATIONS

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Forensic genetics View project

SignaLink View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Tibor Vellai on 12 April 2015.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 ! !"
# $%& &' !( ))*!+ ,

! " # $! # $
"! % ! % " ! ! & % ! ! !!
' ! ()& % ! " ! !
% !
%* ! * *
%*
& ! #C! $
4 !..3 #4 ..* 8 ..* 2 9 :%0;:..1$
! < !!!0 !
& ! ! + 4 = ! > ?! 4 ! ! @
#, -( ../* 0..1*0 ...$ 2 #.3$ ! ! 4 % " ! %2 2 A" % 0
2 #./3$ ! ! !&
! #2 ./3$ 4 !
.13 ! #5 4.1/$ #446$()& #7
.1/$ ! " !
"
!! 5 ! ! 0

- . '
, #...$ B/+B// B/ ... "<
4
. /2 ... .2 ...
B/ "I0I

Eukaryotes

Animals
Plants Fungi
Flagellates Ciliates Entamoebae
Slime moulds
Bacteria Archaebacteria
Purple bacteria Microsporidia Trichomonads Euryarchaeota
Diplomonads Methanosarcina
Gram positives Methanospirillum
Methanobacterium Halobacterium
Cyanobacteria ?
Green nonsulphur Methanococcus Halococcus
Flavobacteria
bacteria Methanopyrus Archaeglobus
Green sulphur
bacteria Thermofilum
Thermotoga
Thermoproteus
Sulfolobus
Pyrodictium Desulfurococcus
Crenarchaeota

Universal ancestor

?" !! "
! # $
# $" ! !
0 ! 0 ! % #< ..* 0 ..D*5-< ..B*E ..F* 0 ..F../*< ..F..1*G - ( ../* E ..1$ '
2 !
 0 +
# - E..1$ "
% & = % ! #$ " !
" & ! ! ! % % % ! F33 .B2 #? -
# * - 2..1$ E ..B$ ! %# D33332* 2 4 - 4%:
! % #,..F*& ..1$ ..B$ " ! "I0I B/K
& ! !! % !! 0
#( ..1$" ! ! ! E =!
% ! ! #&
! #< ..1$ % ! # !
..1* 9- ' ..1$
$
L ! ()& ()& # $ A !
..1 ! #2 - 2H ..1$ ! ! = %
% 7
#I ..1$ ! ! !
&"A #M - A ..3$ ( ()&
" ! # JB$ " = ! #$
! ! !> ! % % #& -G..1*9
* &! ! #
&"A ! $ # - ' ..1* I ..1$ A ! ! # ! #2 - 2 .1.* 4 -
2 ..1$ ! #& - G..1$$ !
$
#5.1$ 4 ! !
#( ..1$ ! !
()& ? ! ()& &"A #G
- 'N( ..D$*(& &"A !
& !
()& &"A ()& ()& " ()&
" ! % &"A )
! &"A ! ! ! % !
#& - G ..1$ 9 ()& ! "
#2 4-4%: ..B$
" L ()& "
"= #( ..1/$? ! ! ! "()& !
" *1 2 ! ! & ! % ! &"A* @&"A+&(A
/3 N &"A B/D "I0I
+ +

#G./.$ ? ! ()&
! 4 ! #0$ "!
% ! 5
>
F33+.B2 K2+D33332 ! 2 ! A !
%
B33O.333 ! ! !()&
%O .B3ODK33 " !! ! # $ ! ()& ! !!
4!
! #G - 5 ..$ 5 !
% ! ! ! " ! = ! % !! %
! ! " ! ! !! !
4 %%! ! # ()& ! $
% !
!
! ()& # $ ! ! ?2 ! !
+ #5 - 9 .1F$ .2
#,..F$ !% &
! !
%

& % !% !
&%! / !

" %! % $ /
? <)& 2 #"0< 2 ( ..1$ E % P& %
0 ! 2 $/ 0
! * ! % #& ..
!
? <)& $" ! !%0 0 #54 -
4 # $ %! 5 ..F$ "
! ! ! 5' B #4 .
11$ ! ! ! ! " %
! !
! !
4 #? - 7 ..$ #2 ..1$ #7 - 4 ../$
#A ..F$
#, .1.$ #?2 ..K$ # ..K$ #, ../$ ? !
# %* 4% ...$ & !% !
! L #$ %#$ !
" K1B #E ../$ #$ A
! ! #7 ..1$" ! !! !
! ()&# $ % !

- . ' , #...$
 0 +
9 7 ! A !! ! 4
> ! " ! ! ( ! % !
! #9- ' ..1$ & ! &"A
! !! & ! 7 R 4%: 2 G M :% ! A:! &: ": 4: ! ! 5 ,! 7 !
#4 ! ..K$ " ! ' E !
!' ?#$ ?#$ #4 ! .1K$" ! !' ! & !
! ! #?../$
"I0I B/B
atmospheric oxygen level (%)

21%

time
(billions of years)
0%
4.5 4 3 2 1 0.7 present-day
origin of
first Cyanobacteria
formation of living first
the Earth origin of
cells eukaryotes
first multicellularity
photosynthetic first aerobic in eukaryotes
cells prokaryotes

? & ! ,! !
!!' !E' " ! # $ #4 !..K*?../$

#G ..K$ ! ! !?#$
6 , '
#G ..K$ ! #?../$ !! #2 -
2H..1*I ..1$ & % ! "! ' ! &<(.." !$ * / . /3F+/K
! " ! &"A ! & &I ?I&"IE &
! # ! ! , ,I 0I 2 - E M E A ..1& 4 B/+B1
% * 2 ./3..F$ ! ' ! " ! % ! = & 40-G5E..1< ! 0 * / FK+F1 ,5<5, 0-40 4.1.
% ! 4 # $ 9 ! / .* / B/3+B/F
! ! ! , M <../ & L ! # .* /
0 3K+D
,5A: 22::056-I 5A..F! #.2$ % *
#& ..1$ # 2..1$ ! ! #, ..F$" ! > "!
- .+K
% ! " , M<-( 7?../
* / * . DBF+B3
& Q N #2 - 2H..1$ # $ ,"), A M - M A M..F & ! -
9 ! % ! " ! E 4( .FB+.FBF
!" ! & 5 6 - 9 M.1F 0 / 9 L&A
! ! E 5 2 .1 A L 0 1+K3
! ! ! + 54 " .1/ 4 KK+KKK
#54.1/$ 54"-5 ..F2 !!%0 !
5* % BB+BF
A 7! ! !
550-< &M..B(! ! % / - 4
P ? B/F "I0I ( FB1+FB
( <?..12 4 KK.+KD
= " ! %4 ( 7?..1/& ! 4 B+F
" % # $ % ( 7 ? ..1 S L ! ! 0 $K3/+K
"2-E<A..1 P 6$# FD+F.
!
"2-27..1& 4 B/+B.
0 E ! M..K / L ! ! * / . +KK
! ?(?5 0-( <?../( L - 4(K31+K3KK
? M9 - 2 ?..K 0 ! 4 KB1+KF
! % % "!! ? 2 - E < ..B A !
5 KKF+KKF.

- . ' , #...$
 0 +
? M & - 7 < ..2 $ / /- 4 (11D+111
0 &AE-90 E..FA ! /3( 0
- 4( DFD+DF/
0 &AE-90 E../! ! 2 ! E4A/3 4 *
- B.+F1
0 2 7 , 0 - 9 , ? ... 2
D/F+D1
0<4..1A L
! * / *
. DKB+D.
0<4&G?2-4,..D5 ! $ / E4A/3 L ! ! -
4(1.B+1..
E " 4% 9 , 4 " 2H 2 E 2 ..1 4 ! $ / 0
<)&
- 4 ( F1F3+F1FB
E E(../! ! K1B3 K1+K.
E (4E<AG 49 (- "2..F2 ! -
. ' , 3BK+3B.
M G?-A 4..32 % ! !
* / . 1.+33
G M ? ..K N .3+.F
G A M - ( 7 ?../ ! - 4(/3+/B
G8-'N( 2..D()& L% 6$# 1B+.B
G 2./. "&(A &"A !
0 D.+B
G &-5 M?..E L P4 KD+KB
9M0-'E..12 !% - 4(.DK+.D/
2 7..1 & ! 0* / KK+K1
2 9./3 6 + )E5"LS6 A
2 9..F&+ ! L !!- 4 ( 3/+3/F
27-2H2..1" ! 4 K/+D
2 4M-4%: ..B 0 1 '! )
S L?
2 5 .3 " 8 AT% 0 4 9 ' 7 / /1+KF/ 2 (-9 :
%0;:A..14 !
L 5* % B/+BK3
2 5 9 - 2 <S.1. = ! + ()&<)& ! % * /
/3+/F
A 92 E MA- G( &..F * /
K( &L75, A
<(44"2& ?-0?(.. !$ / ! %
BK+BKB
< 2 5 M < 2 M - 9 M & ..1
0! ! - 4(FK.+FDD
< & M 5 5 0 - ( 7 ?..F & 0 -
4 ( DF1+DF
< &M440" M550427 0 ? ( - 4 2 9 ..1 &
"I0I B//

F3 $ /L ! - 4 ( .+KD
4 !M7..K2 ! ! L ! !! FD3+FDF
4 !M7E M2-72<.1K ! N L % 8 / 9
# M74 !$KF+K1DA 6 A
4% E ) , = " ? " 0 E:% 2:2" &-M ,,...( ! ! ! D.K+D.B
4 4-2 2..1 5 * 5 BF+FD
4 29.. !
6$# DB/+DFK
4 9.11 )S L?
"0<2 ( #LOO OOOO $" ! 0 <
I" ": G - I 0 ..1 & ! 5* % D..+B3/
7<"-4 9../, L PB//+B/.
7 5 < .1/ , * / . +/
7 5 <..1 " - 4 (F1BD+F1B.
8 7 A A G EA AH 0 0 ? 4 5..A ! ()&<)& L
! ! $
# ? < % I$K+KK)S LAA

&

- . ' , #...$