General trends in trace element utilization revealed by comparative genomic analyses of Co, Cu, Mo, Ni, and Se.

ABSTRACT: Trace elements are used by all organisms and provide proteins with unique coordination and catalytic and electron transfer properties. Although many trace element-containing proteins are well characterized, little is known about the general trends in trace element utilization. We carried out comparative genomic analyses of copper, molybdenum, nickel, cobalt (in the form of vitamin B(12)), and selenium (in the form of selenocysteine) in 747 sequenced organisms at the following levels: (i) transporters and transport-related proteins, (ii) cofactor biosynthesis traits, and (iii) trace element-dependent proteins. Few organisms were found to utilize all five trace elements, whereas many symbionts, parasites, and yeasts used only one or none of these elements. Investigation of metalloproteomes a

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2823458 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature