Open AccessWhich bacterium is the ancestor of the animal mitochondrial genome?
Author(s) -
Samuel Karlin,
Allan Campbell
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.91.26.12842
Subject(s) - sulfolobus , biology , genetics , genome , mitochondrial dna , most recent common ancestor , evolutionary biology , gene , archaea
We present considerable data supporting the hypothesis that a Sulfolobus- or Mycoplasma-like endosymbiont, rather than an alpha-proteobacterium, is the ancestor of animal mitochondrial genomes. This hypothesis is based on pronounced similarities in oligonucleotide relative abundance extremes common to animal mtDNA, Sulfolobus, and Mycoplasma capricolum and pronounced discrepancies of these relative abundance values with respect to alpha-proteobacteria. In addition, genomic dinucleotide relative abundance measures place Sulfolobus and M. capricolum among the closest to animal mitochondrial genomes, whereas the classical eubacteria, especially the alpha-proteobacteria, are at excessive distances. There are also considerable molecular and cellular phenotypic analogies among mtDNA, Sulfolobus, and M. capricolum.