A Journey across Genomes Uncovers the Origin of Ubiquinone in Cyanobacteria.

ABSTRACT: Ubiquinone (Q) is an isoprenoid quinone that functions as membrane electron carrier in mitochondria and bacterial organisms belonging to the alpha, beta, and gamma class of proteobacteria. The biosynthesis of Q follows various biochemical steps catalyzed by diverse proteins that are, in general, homologous in mitochondria and bacteria. Nonorthologous proteins can also contribute to some biochemical steps as originally uncovered in Escherichia coli, which is the best studied organism for Q biosynthesis in prokaryotes. However, the origin of the biosynthetic pathway of Q has remained obscure. Here, I show by genome analysis that Q biosynthesis originated in cyanobacteria and then diversified in anaerobic alpha proteobacteria which have extant relatives in members of the Rhodospirillaceae fam

SUBMITTER: Degli Esposti M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5714133 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature