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Review: origin of complex algae by secondary endosymbiosis: a journey through time

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Abstract

Secondary endosymbiosis—the merging of two eukaryotic cells into one photosynthetic cellular unit—led to the evolution of ecologically and medically very important organisms. We review the biology of these organisms, starting from the first proposal of secondary endosymbiosis up to recent phylogenetic models on the origin of secondarily evolved protists. In addition, we discuss the organelle character of the symbionts based on morphological features, gene transfers from the symbiont into the host and re-import of nucleus-encoded plastid proteins. Finally, we hypothesize that secondary endosymbiosis is more than enslaving a eukaryotic, phototrophic cell, but reflects a complex interplay between host and symbiont, leading to the inseparability of the two symbiotic partners generating a cellular entity.

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Abbreviations

PPC:

Periplastidal compartment

TOM:

Translocon of the outer mitochondrial membrane

TIM:

Translocon of the inner mitochondrial membrane

TOC:

Translocon of the outer chloroplast membrane

TIC:

Translocon of the outer chloroplast membrane

SELMA:

Symbiont-specific ERAD-like machinery

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Acknowledgements

We thank CJ Hofmann for templates for Fig. 2 and all the former and current members of our group for important contributions to the topic. We are supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the CRC 987 and by grants Ma1232/15 and Ma1232/16. Additionally, we acknowledge support from the LOEWE Centre for Synthetic Microbiology (SynMikro).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Cell Biology, Philipps University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032, Marburg, Germany

    J. Gentil, D. Moog, S. Zauner & U.G. Maier

  2. LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (Synmikro), Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032, Marburg, Germany

    F. Hempel & U.G. Maier

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  1. J. Gentil
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Handling Editor: Uli Kutschera

Dedicated to the memory of Prof. Dr. Peter Sitte

From the senior author:

In the 1980s, Peter Sitte decided to start investigating the cell biology and evolution of cryptophytes. At this time, some members of our group were quite young and others not born at all, but this decision still dominates our scientific life. He taught us to ask the correct scientific questions and to design the appropriate experiments, all of it in a friendly atmosphere. I am very grateful for our common time and would like to pay tribute to my forever unforgotten teacher and friend.

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Gentil, J., Hempel, F., Moog, D. et al. Review: origin of complex algae by secondary endosymbiosis: a journey through time. Protoplasma 254, 1835–1843 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-017-1098-8

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