Convergent evolution of receptors for protein import into mitochondria
Perry, A.J., Hulett, J.M., Likic, V.A., Lithgow, T., Gooley, P.R.(2006) Curr Biol 16: 221-229
- PubMed: 16461275 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2005.12.034
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1ZU2 - PubMed Abstract: 
Mitochondria evolved from intracellular bacterial symbionts. Establishing mitochondria as organelles required a molecular machine to import proteins across the mitochondrial outer membrane. This machinery, the TOM complex, is composed of at least seven component parts, and its creation and evolution represented a sizeable challenge. Although there is good evidence that a core TOM complex, composed of three subunits, was established in the protomitochondria, we suggest that the receptor component of the TOM complex arose later in the evolution of this machine.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.