The iron-sulfur cluster assembly genes iscS and iscU of Entamoeba histolytica were acquired by horizontal gene transfer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Iron-sulfur (FeS) proteins are present in all living organisms and play important roles in electron transport and metalloenzyme catalysis. The maturation of FeS proteins in eukaryotes is an essential function of mitochondria, but little is known about this process in amitochondriate eukaryotes. Here we report on the identification and analysis of two genes encoding critical FeS cluster (Isc) biosynthetic proteins from the amitochondriate human pathogen Entamoeba histolytica.

Results

E. histolytica IscU and IscS were found to contain all features considered essential for their biological activity, including amino acid residues involved in substrate and/or co-factor binding. The IscU protein differs significantly from other eukaryotic homologs and resembles the long

SUBMITTER: van der Giezen M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC373444 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature