Consequences of Inner Membrane Folding on Mitochondrial ATP Output

Abstract

Infolding the chemiosmotic membrane of the endosymbiont was a critical early step in eukaryotic evolution. By increasing the ratio of chemiosmotic membrane area to cell volume occupied, ATP production was greatly amplified, making the extravagant eukaryotic lifestyle possible. Boosting energy production likely drove the shedding of genes by the endosymbiont, since outsourcing protein production to the host freed up space (otherwise occupied by ribosomes) for expanding the ATP-generating membrane.