Mitochondria before we knew them.

Mitochondrial proteome diversity across eukaryotes reveals a complex ancestral set and extensive lineage-specific innovations, reshaping understanding of mitochondrial evolution.

• Why it matters: Understanding mitochondrial diversity is crucial because it addresses gaps in knowledge about their evolution and functions beyond traditional model organisms, impacting broader biological insights.
• What they did: Chen et al. analyzed mitochondrial proteomes from a wide range of eukaryotes, reconstructing phylogenetic relationships to uncover ancestral and lineage-specific mitochondrial proteins.
• The result: Their findings suggest a surprisingly complex last eukaryotic common ancestor's mitochondrial proteome and highlight numerous unexplored mitochondrial functions, opening new research avenues.