Evolution of photosynthetic and respiratory prokaryotes and organelles

Journal Article · Sat Feb 28 00:00:00 EST 1981 · Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1981.tb46508.x· OSTI ID:5047922

Olson, J M

Common ancestors for mitochondria, chloroplasts, and photosynthetic bacteria (including cyanobacteria) probably existed more than three billion years ago. One ancestral prokaryote may have contained P(chl) Chloroplast a in photochemical reaction centers that drove cyclic electron flow and phosphorylation through membrane-bound components including cytochromes and quinones. Substitution of Chl a for Pchl a and the development of linear electron-transport chains permitted the reduction of NAD/sup +/ and/or NADP/sup +/ for carbon-dioxide fixation. Evolution of photosystem II from photosystem I enabled one prokaryote to evolve oxygen as a byproduct of carbon-dioxide fixation. This organism was the common ancestor of cyanobacteria, Prochloron, and various chloroplasts. A photosynthetic bacterium containing Bchl a appears to have branched off from the Chl a line. This bacterium was the common ancestor of extant respiring bacteria, mitochondria, and purple and green photosynthetic bacteria.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY
• OSTI ID: 5047922
• Journal Information: Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.; (United States), Vol. 361
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CHLOROPLASTS
BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
MITOCHONDRIA
PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA
CARBON DIOXIDE FIXATION
CHLOROPHYLL
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANOIDS
PHYTOCHROMES
PIGMENTS
PORPHYRINS
550700* - Microbiology
551000 - Physiological Systems