Origin and evolution of metabolic sub-cellular compartmentalization in eukaryotes

Abstract

A high level of subcellular compartmentalization is a hallmark of eukaryotic cells. This intricate internal organization was present already in the common ancestor of all extant eukaryotes, and the determination of the origins and early evolution of the different organelles remains largely elusive. Organellar proteomes are determined through regulated pathways that target proteins produced in the cytosol to their final subcellular destinations. This internal sorting of proteins can vary across different physiological conditions, cell types and lineages. Evolutionary retargeting – the alteration of a subcellular localization of a protein in the course of evolution – has been rampant in eukaryotes and involves any possible combination of organelles. This fact adds another layer of difficulty to the reconstruction of the origins and evolution of organelles. In this review we discuss current themes in relation to the origin and evolution of organellar proteomes. Throughout the text, a special focus is set on the evolution of mitochondrial and peroxisomal proteomes, which are two organelles for which extensive proteomic and evolutionary studies have been performed.

Highlights

• •

  Eukaryotes have a complex subcellular organization.

• •

  This feature is ancestral and the origin of most compartments remains unknown.

• •

  Subcellular retargeting of proteins have been rampant during evolution.