Skip to main content
Fig. 3 | Cancer Cell International

Fig. 3

From: Cancer cells arise from bacteria

Fig. 3

Cartoon illustrating the formation of cancer cells. a The normal cell/PCC undergoes senescence and bloats into a PGC/PGCC with a large nucleus (N). leading to the activation of the dormant intracellular bacterium (B) and the invasion of the extracellular bacterium. b The bacterium intrudes into the large PGC/PGCC nucleus, takes up the nuclear DNA and retains the obtained DNA in DSB, and thus turns into the small nascent cancer cell (NC): PCC/SCC. c NC multiplies in the nucleus by asymmetric division, some of which penetrate the nuclear envelope (NE) into the cytoplasm. d All NCs enter cytoplasm after the rupture of NE, and continue to proliferate. During this process, some NCs protrude and escape from the necrotic PGCs/PGCCs; while most NCs aggregate into a spheroid. e A spheroid consist of NCs is liberated from the ruptured PGCs/PGCCs. f As NC increases in size, DSB disrupts and thus the acquired eukaryotic DNA and the bacterial one fragments and hybridizes into a hybrid genome; concurrently, a peripheral double membrane segment (DMS) is synthesized by fusion of the cytoplasmic membrane-derived vesicles. g NC further enlarges, DMS extends into a closed double membrane (DM), enclosing the total cytoplasm, and thus gives rise to a single multifunctional organelle (MO). Inside MO, a mitochondrion (M) is assembled by encapsulating the selected relevant components (e.g., DNA) with the double membrane synthesized by fusion of the inner DM membrane-derived vesicles; meanwhile, a small opening (O) is formed on DM allowing the selective release of MO matrix. h The released MO matrix builds up the eukaryotic cytoplasm (EC), and the newly assembled mitochondrion detaches from MO into EC; while new mitochondria continue to develop in MO, resulting the diminishment of MO. i After all mitochondria enter EC, MO dwindles into a nucleus (N), such that NC develops into a large mature PCC/SCC

Back to article page