Evolution of bacterial steroid biosynthesis and its impact on eukaryogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Steroids are components of the eukaryotic cellular membrane and have indispensable roles in the process of eukaryotic endocytosis by regulating membrane fluidity and permeability. In particular, steroids may have been a structural prerequisite for the acquisition of mitochondria via endocytosis during eukaryogenesis. While eukaryotes are inferred to have evolved from an archaeal lineage, there is little similarity between the eukaryotic and archaeal cellular membranes. As such, the evolution of eukaryotic cellular membranes has limited our understanding of eukaryogenesis. Despite evolving from archaea, the eukaryotic cellular membrane is essentially a fatty acid bacterial-type membrane, which implies a substantial bacterial contribution to the evolution of the eukaryotic cellular membrane.

SUBMITTER: Hoshino Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8237579 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature