Experimentally Testing the Endosymbiotic Theory of Mitochondrial Evolution

项目总结/摘要 我们将尝试根据内共生理论来概括线粒体的进化。 真核细胞器，如线粒体和叶绿体，被认为是由线粒体和叶绿体进化而来的。 细菌内共生体在进化的早期阶段。在这里我们将开始检验这一理论 利用两种已建立的模式生物- E. coli和革兰氏阳性菌S.啤酒。具体来说，我们将 在酵母细胞中产生细菌内共生体。一旦我们建立了稳定的内共生体 系统性地敲除细菌基因组的大部分或将特定基因转移到 宿主基因组以获得与线粒体早期阶段相似的最小共生体基因组 进化我们还将尝试进一步删除酵母线粒体中的基因，探索那些 影响该系统的稳定性的因素和利用酵母的光利用内共生菌 蓝细菌。这些研究有可能提供更多的见解的演变 复杂的真核生物功能，如产生能量的线粒体。

Project Summary/Abstract We will attempt to recapitulate mitochondrial evolution based on the endosymbiotic theory. Eukaryotic organelles, like mitochondria and chloroplasts, are proposed to have evolved from bacterial endosymbionts during an early stage of evolution. Here we will begin to test this theory using two well established model organisms – E. coli and S. cerevisiae. Specifically, we will generate bacterial endosymbionts in yeast cells. Once we establish stable endosymbionts we will systematically either knockout large parts of the bacterial genome or move specific genes to the host genome to obtain a minimal symbiont genome similar to the early stages of mitochondrial evolution. We will also attempt to further delete genes in the yeast mitochondria, explore those factors that affect the stability of this system and light utilizing endosymbionts using yeast and cyanobacteria. These studies have the potential to provide additional insights into the evolution of complex eukaryotic functions, such as energy generating mitochondria.