An advanced stage of symbiosis between a nitrogen-fixing bacterium and an alga is thought to capture the formation of a new type of organelle—a "nitroplast" #science #biology #symbiosis #evolution
@jlsteenwyk I wonder who coined the term 'Nitroblasts' for the very first time?
@jlsteenwyk Sounds like a nobel prize to me
@jlsteenwyk Forgive my ignorance, but for clarity this is saying, they have found DNA that is encoded in these nitroplasts. It is from the algae’s DNA and it has been incorporated like mitochondria did. This is the first evidence of this as a N2 fixing organelle?
@jlsteenwyk N fixing organelles are of interest as an apparent evolutionary gap. Eukaryotes gained access to aerobic respiration and photosynthesis through endosymbiosis, why not N fixation when there are many modern symbionts that are N fixers. Gap filled, N fixing organelles identified!
@jlsteenwyk Very cool work, and fairly convincing (Nitroplast is a terrible name, however, since that would imply its not plastid derived. New endosymbiotic origin, new organelle naming scheme IMO)