Sequence evidence for the symbiotic origins of chloroplasts and mitochondria

The origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts is investigated on the basis of prokaryotic and early-eukaryotic evolutionary trees derived from protein and nucleic-acid sequences by the method of Dayhoff (1979). Trees for bacterial ferrodoxins, 5S ribosomal RNA, c-type cytochromes, the lipid-binding subunit of ATPase, and dihydrofolate reductase are presented and discussed. Good agreement among the trees is found, and it is argued that the mitochondria and chloroplasts evolved by multiple symbiotic events.