Introns and the origin of nucleus-cytosol compartmentalization.
The origin of the eukaryotic nucleus marked a seminal evolutionary transition. We propose that the nuclear envelope's incipient function was to allow mRNA splicing, which is slow, to go to completion so that translation, which is fast, would occur only on mRNA with intact reading frames. The rapid, fortuitous spread of introns following the origin of mitochondria is adduced as the selective pressure that forged nucleus-cytosol compartmentalization.
Martin
William
W
Institute of Botany III, University of Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. w.martin@uni-duesseldorf.de
Koonin
Eugene V
EV
D005075:Biological Evolution; D002451:Cell Compartmentation / Q000502:physiology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D009685:Nuclear Envelope / Q000502:physiology; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000378:metabolism
D012313:RNA