Molecular evolution of urea amidolyase and urea carboxylase in fungi.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Urea amidolyase breaks down urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide in a two-step process, while another enzyme, urease, does this in a one step-process. Urea amidolyase has been found only in some fungal species among eukaryotes. It contains two major domains: the amidase and urea carboxylase domains. A shorter form of urea amidolyase is known as urea carboxylase and has no amidase domain. Eukaryotic urea carboxylase has been found only in several fungal species and green algae. In order to elucidate the evolutionary origin of urea amidolyase and urea carboxylase, we studied the distribution of urea amidolyase, urea carboxylase, as well as other proteins including urease, across kingdoms.

Results

Among the 64 fungal species we examined, only those in two Ascomycota

SUBMITTER: Strope PK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3073912 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature