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Related Concept Videos

The Nitrogen Cycle01:49

The Nitrogen Cycle

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Nitrogen atoms, present in all proteins and DNA, are recycled between abiotic and biotic components of the ecosystem. However, the primary form of nitrogen on Earth is nitrogen gas, which cannot be used by most animals and plants. Thus, nitrogen gas must first be converted into a usable form by nitrogen-fixing bacteria before it can be cycled through other living organisms. The use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers and animal waste products in human agriculture has greatly influenced the...
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Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism01:20

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Nitrogen is a very important element for life because it is a major constituent of proteins and nucleic acids. It is a macronutrient, and in nature, it is recycled from organic compounds and stored in the form of  ammonia, ammonium ions, nitrate, nitrite, or  nitrogen gas by many metabolic processes. Many of these metabolic processes are carried out only by prokaryotes.
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this...
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The Anatomy of Chloroplasts01:08

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Green algae and plants, including green stems and unripe fruit, harbor specialized organelles called chloroplasts to carry out photosynthesis. They coordinate both stages of photosynthesis — the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions. The light-dependent reactions use sunlight to release oxygen and produce chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH, and the light-independent reactions capture CO2 and use ATP and NADPH to produce sugar.
Structure of...
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The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition02:11

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Plants have the impressive ability to create their own food through photosynthesis. However, plants often require assistance from organisms in the soil to acquire the nutrients they need to function correctly. Both bacteria and fungi have evolved symbiotic relationships with plants that help the species to thrive in a wide variety of environments.
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Export of Mitochondrial and Chloroplast Genes02:19

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A eukaryotic cell can have up to three different types of genetic systems: nuclear, mitochondrial, and chloroplast. During evolution, organelles have exported many genes to the nucleus; this transfer is still ongoing in some plant species. Approximately 18% of the Arabidopsis thaliana nuclear genome is thought to be derived from the chloroplast’s cyanobacterial ancestor, and around 75% of the yeast genome derived from the mitochondria’s bacterial ancestor. This export has occurred...
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Anatomy of Chloroplasts01:07

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Green algae and plants, including green stems and unripe fruit, harbor chloroplasts—the vital organelles where photosynthesis takes place. In plants, the highest density of chloroplasts is found in the mesophyll cells of leaves.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2025

Author Spotlight: Microscopic Analysis of Protein Localization at Plasmodesmata in Plants
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The nitroplast: A nitrogen-fixing organelle.

Ramon Massana1

  • 1Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 11, 2024
PubMed
Summary

A marine algal endosymbiont has evolved into a functional organelle. This remarkable evolutionary transition provides insights into the origins of eukaryotic cellular complexity and endosymbiosis.

Area of Science:

  • * Evolutionary biology
  • * Cellular and molecular biology
  • * Marine microbiology

Background:

  • * Marine algae host diverse bacterial endosymbionts.
  • * Endosymbiosis is a key process in eukaryotic evolution, leading to organelles like mitochondria and chloroplasts.
  • * The transition from symbiont to organelle involves significant genetic and functional integration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To investigate the evolutionary trajectory of a specific bacterial endosymbiont in marine algae.
  • * To determine the extent to which this endosymbiont has acquired organelle-like characteristics.
  • * To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying endosymbiont-to-organelle evolution.

Main Methods:

  • * Comparative genomics and transcriptomics of the host alga and its endosymbiont.

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  • * Proteomic analysis to identify endosymbiont-derived proteins in host cells.
  • * Fluorescence microscopy and cell fractionation to localize endosymbiont-associated proteins.

    • Main Results:

    • * The bacterial endosymbiont exhibits a reduced genome and essential gene transfer to the host nucleus.
    • * Numerous endosymbiont proteins are targeted to and function within the host cell.
    • * The endosymbiont shows characteristics of a highly integrated organelle, including specialized membrane structures.

    Conclusions:

    • * This study provides compelling evidence for the ongoing evolution of a bacterial endosymbiont into a bona fide organelle within a marine alga.
    • * The findings illuminate the dynamic process of organelle biogenesis and its implications for algal biology.
    • * This system serves as a model for studying the fundamental steps in the establishment of eukaryotic organelles.