Microbes as Key Players During Evolution: I From the Beginnings to the Appearance of Eukaryotes
- 1Immune-Oncological Center Cologne (IOZK), D-50674 Cologne, Germany
Abstract
Life on Earth originated in the Precambrian, around 4 billion years ago. This review focuses on microbes (viruses, bacteria, archaea) which developed in these prehistoric times and their roles during the later evolution of protists (eukaryotes). Among the different theories of life evolution, the author favors the theory of the RNA world as having been first. Over the past few decades, new molecular biological technologies and findings have changed the paradigm of mutation and selection as being the main driving force of biological evolution. Instead, microbes and microbe-derived genetic elements (e.g., plasmids, transposons) have been found to be capable of changing whole genomes and creating new species. Versatile RNA molecules have played important roles, such as regulating gene expression and affecting epigenetic changes, from primordial times up to the present. Microbes have been reported to show parasitic as well as mutualistic symbiotic relationships with their infected hosts. Examples of endosymbiogenesis are chloroplasts and mitochondria acting as new organelles, which facilitate photosynthesis and respiration within eukaryotic host cells. Considering the importance of these events, molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis and respiration are described in some detail in this review.
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BibTeX
@article{schirrmacher2026microbes,
title = {{Microbes as Key Players During Evolution: I From the Beginnings to the Appearance of Eukaryotes}},
author = {Volker Schirrmacher},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27198790},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/19/8790},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Microbes as Key Players During Evolution: I From the Beginnings to the Appearance of Eukaryotes
AU - Volker Schirrmacher
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27198790
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/19/8790
AB - Life on Earth originated in the Precambrian, around 4 billion years ago. This review focuses on microbes (viruses, bacteria, archaea) which developed in these prehistoric times and their roles during the later evolution of protists (eukaryotes). Among the different theories of life evolution, the author favors the theory of the RNA world as having been first. Over the past few decades, new molecular biological technologies and findings have changed the paradigm of mutation and selection as being the main driving force of biological evolution. Instead, microbes and microbe-derived genetic elements (e.g., plasmids, transposons) have been found to be capable of changing whole genomes and creating new species. Versatile RNA molecules have played important roles, such as regulating gene expression and affecting epigenetic changes, from primordial times up to the present. Microbes have been reported to show parasitic as well as mutualistic symbiotic relationships with their infected hosts. Examples of endosymbiogenesis are chloroplasts and mitochondria acting as new organelles, which facilitate photosynthesis and respiration within eukaryotic host cells. Considering the importance of these events, molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis and respiration are described in some detail in this review.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -