Endosymbiosis

Venkatesh Rao
IB Year 1 A
Contents
Introductory Video
What is endosymbiosis?
Animated Representation
The Process Explained What is the Biological Reasoning?
History of Endosymbiosis
Endosymbiotic Gene Transfer
The Evidence
Secondary Endosymbiosis




Introductory Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FQmAnmLZtE
So, what is endosymbiosis?


This theory states that several organelles in eukaryotic cells originated as mutual
relationships between single-celled prokaryotic organisms.
These organelles include mitochondria and chloroplasts among many others.
Animated Representation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ESXvLHceDc
"Serial endosymbiosis" by Kelvinsong - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons -
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Serial_endosymbiosis.svg#mediaviewer/File:Serial_endosymbiosis.svg
"Endosymbiosis". Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons -
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Endosymbiosis.PNG#mediaviewer/File:Endosymbiosis.PNG
A little about the theorys history
First thought of in 1910 by Russian botanist Konstantin Mereschkowski
[1]
The theory was initially dismissed
The theory was advanced by Lynn Margulis in 1967
Life did not take over the globe by combat, but by networking
[2]


[1] Martin, William; Mayo Roettger, Thorsten Kloesges, Thorsten Thiergart, Christian Woehle, Sven Gould and Tal Dagan. "Modern endosymbiotic theory: Getting lateral gene transfer in-to the equation". Journal
of Endocytobiosis and Cell Research 23: 15.
[2] Lynn Sagan (1967). "On the origin of mitosing cells". J Theor Biol 14 (3): 255274. doi:10.1016/0022-5193(67)90079-3. PMID 11541392.

"Lynn Margulis". Licensed under Creative
Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 via
Wikimedia Commons -
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File
:Lynn_Margulis.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Ly
nn_Margulis.jpg

Endosymbiotic Gene Transfer

Some genes from the endosymbionts were transferred to the nucleus of the
host cell (which may have been a prokaryotic cell)
This is seen as the main move from a symbiotic community to a fully
instituted eukaryotic cell
Some DNA (in the form of plasmids) however, was left behind in these
endosymbionts (to form the organelles of eukaryotic cells)
This was tested by studying the number of genomes in a bacterial cell and
the number in organelles.
The Evidence
New mitochondria and chloroplasts are formed by a process similar to binary fission
If the mitochondria or chloroplasts of a cell are destroyed they will not regenerate
Transport proteins are found in the membranes of several organelles (to transport genes)
The membrane lipid Cardiolipin, and several specific genes are found exclusively in the
inner mitochondrial membrane and the cell membrane of the bacteria Rickettsial
Mitochondria and chloroplasts contain plasmids which are similar to those in bacteria
Mitochondria have several enzymes and transport systems similar to those of bacteria
These organelles' ribosomes are like those found in bacteria (70S)


Secondary Endosymbiosis
This occurs when the product of a primary endosymbiosis is itself engulfed
and retained by another free living eukaryotic cell. This process has led to the
formation of many diverse types of algae and other eukaryotic species.
http://endosymbiotichypothesis.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/pacman-copy.gif http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/pix/endosymbiosis1.jpg