What are the lipids on the double membrane of a eukaryote cell's nucleus?

[Buzz Bloom]

Various sources describe the origin of the eukaryotes as occurring when a bacterial cell ingested an archaea cell, which then symbiotically became the nucleus of the created cell, and which was then the LUCA (Latest Universal Common Ancestor) of all the eukaryotes. The cell membranes of the bacteria domain have a distinctly different kind of lipid then the archaea cell membranes. The cell membranes of eukarya cells have similar lipids as the bacteria.

I have tried to find the answer to the following question online, but I have failed to find it.

Question: What are are the lipids like on the double membrane of a eukaryote cell's nucleus?

From the theory regarding its origin, I would expect the outer layer of the nucleus membrane to have lipids like the bacteria and the eukarya cell membranes, while the inner nucleus membrane would have lipids like the archaea cell membranes. Can anyone confirm this with a reference, or provide a reference that says this is wrong.

Thanks for any help.

Regards,
Buzz

 

[jim mcnamara]

You may want to read this article. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2829960/
And this one, too. http://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/content/5/6/a013235.full

For example, the Endoplasmic Reticulum is continuous with the nuclear membrane. Each of the other types organelles has a unique lipid profile.

 

[Buzz Bloom]

Hi Jim:

Thanks very much for your help.

Regards,
Buzz

 

[Ygggdrasil]

Various sources describe the origin of the eukaryotes as occurring when a bacterial cell ingested an archaea cell, which then symbiotically became the nucleus of the created cell, and which was then the LUCA (Latest Universal Common Ancestor) of all the eukaryotes.

This is incorrect. An archaeon ingested a bacteria, and the bacteria became the mitochondria, not the nucleus. The origin of the nucleus is still unclear AFAIK.

The cell membranes of the bacteria domain have a distinctly different kind of lipid then the archaea cell membranes. The cell membranes of eukarya cells have similar lipids as the bacteria.

Eukaryotic and bacterial plasma membranes are indeed more similar to each other than they are to archaea, and this has posed some interesting evolutionary questions. Here's a link to a section of a http://www.nature.com/nature/journa....html#the-origin-of-eukaryotic-cell-membranes that discusses the issue (if the link doesn't automatically point you to the right section, navigate to the section entitled "the origin of eukaryotic cell membranes"). Part of the answer may be related to the fact that present-day archaea primarily live in fairly extreme environments (e.g. very high temperatures) that may require different membrane structures than bacteria and eukaryotes that live in less extreme environments.

Question: What are are the lipids like on the double membrane of a eukaryote cell's nucleus?

All membrane structures in eukaryotes, including the nucleus, are bacteria-like rather than archaea-like.

 

[Buzz Bloom]

Hi @Ygggdrasil:

Thank you much for correcting my misunderstanding. I am looking forward to reading the article you cited, but it will take a while since I do not have ready access to Nature, and I will have to rely on my local library to get a copy for me.

An archaeon ingested a bacteria, and the bacteria became the mitochondria, not the nucleus.

All membrane structures in eukaryotes, including the nucleus, are bacteria-like rather than archaea-like.

I find it quite mysterious that if the archaea cell ingested a bacteria that the resulting cell membrane would bacteria-like. It is not the first time that the entire way I have been thinking about some scientific area has turned out to be completely wrong.

Regards,
Buzz