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The early evolution of lipid membranes and the three domains of life

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 10, pages 507–515 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

All cell membranes are composed of glycerol phosphate phospholipids, and this commonality argues for the presence of such phospholipids in the last common ancestor, or cenancestor. However, phospholipid biosynthesis is very different between bacteria and archaea, leading to the suggestion that the cenancestor was devoid of phospholipid membranes. Recent phylogenomic studies challenge this view, suggesting that the cenancestor did possess complex phospholipid membranes. Here, we discuss the implications of these recent findings for membrane evolution in archaea and bacteria, and for the origin of the eukaryotic cell.

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Figure 1: Phospholipid biosynthesis pathways in archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes.
Figure 2: Models explaining the early evolution of archaeal and bacterial phospholipid biosynthesis.
Figure 3: Complement of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of phospholipid components in the cenancestor, and their evolution during the archaea–bacteria split.
Figure 4: Models explaining the bacterial-like nature of phospholipid membranes in eukaryotes.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the interdisciplinary programmes Origine des Planètes et de la Vie and InTerrVie (Interactions Terre/Vie, both of the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and the French Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers. J.L. is a recipient of a Ph.D. fellowship from the French Research Ministry. The authors thank the anonymous referees for useful comments.

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  1. Jonathan Lombard, Purificacin López-García and David Moreira are at the Unité d'Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 8079, Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay, France.,

    Jonathan Lombard, Purificación López-García & David Moreira

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Lombard, J., López-García, P. & Moreira, D. The early evolution of lipid membranes and the three domains of life. Nat Rev Microbiol 10, 507–515 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2815

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