Origin and evolution of mitochondrial inner membrane composition

Unique membrane architectures and lipid building blocks underlie the metabolic and non-metabolic functions of mitochondria. During eukaryogenesis, mitochondria likely arose from an alphaproteobacterial symbiont of an Asgard archaea-related host cell. Subsequently, mitochondria evolved inner membrane folds known as cristae alongside a specialized lipid composition supported by metabolic and transport machinery. Advancements in phylogenetic methods and genomic and metagenomic data have suggested potential origins for cristae-shaping protein complexes, such as the mitochondrial contact site and cristae-organizing system (MICOS). MICOS protein homologs function in the formation of cristae-like intracytoplasmic membranes (ICMs) in diverse extant alphaproteobacteria. The machinery responsible for synthesizing key mitochondrial phospholipids - which cooperate with cristae-shaping proteins to establish inner membrane architecture - could have also evolved from a bacterial ancestor, but its origins have been less explored. In this Review, we examine the current understanding of mitochondrial membrane evolution, highlighting distinctions between prokaryotic and eukaryotic mitochondrial-specific proteins and lipids and their differing roles in shaping cristae and ICM architecture, and propose a model explaining the concurrent specialization of the mitochondrial lipidome and inner membrane structure in eukaryogenesis. We discuss how advancements across a range of disciplines are shedding light on how multiple membrane components co-evolved to support the central functions of eukaryotic mitochondria.