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Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

Published on: August 14, 2018

Physiology, phylogeny, early evolution, and GAPDH.

William F Martin¹, Rüdiger Cerff²

¹Institute of Molecular Evolution, University of Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. bill@hhu.de.

|March 8, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Investigating D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in plant cells reveals evolutionary history. These enzymes provide insights into early life, endosymbiosis, and energy conservation pathways.

Keywords:

Cell evolution Endosymbiosis Mitochondria Peter Sitte Plastids

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Last Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

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Published on: August 14, 2018

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A Bioinformatics Pipeline for Investigating Molecular Evolution and Gene Expression using RNA-seq

A Bioinformatics Pipeline for Investigating Molecular Evolution and Gene Expression using RNA-seq

Published on: May 28, 2021

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Evolutionary Biology
Cell Biology

Background:

Plant cells contain parallel biochemical pathways in chloroplasts and cytosol, like the Calvin cycle and glycolysis.
Compartment-specific isoenzymes, encoded by nuclear genes, catalyze these reactions, exhibiting distinct physiochemical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the evolutionary history of life through the lens of chloroplast and cytosolic isoenzymes of D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH).
To understand the origins of genes, eukaryotes, protein compartmentation, plastids, and secondary endosymbiosis.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) isoenzymes from chloroplast and cytosolic compartments.
Examination of the reaction mechanism of GAPDH, focusing on phosphorolysis of thioesters.

Main Results:

Chloroplast and cytosolic GAPDH isoenzymes contain molecular evidence of major evolutionary events.
The reaction mechanism of GAPDH highlights primitive energy conservation strategies predating free-living cells.

Conclusions:

Chloroplast and cytosolic GAPDH serve as valuable molecular markers for tracing endosymbiosis and physiological evolution.
The study of GAPDH illuminates the deep evolutionary history of cellular processes and organismal origins.