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The interface between the biological and inorganic worlds: iron-sulfur metalloclusters
Douglas C Rees1, James B Howard
1Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 114-96, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. dcrees@caltech.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|May 10, 2003
Summary
Complex iron-sulfur clusters are vital for early Earth
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry and Astrobiology: Investigating the origins and evolution of metalloenzymes.
Background:
- Iron-sulfur clusters are crucial active sites for enzymes catalyzing redox reactions involving N2, CO, and H2.
- These molecules likely played a role in Earth's primordial atmosphere.
- Modern complex clusters evolved from simpler forms with added metals and assembly pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To understand the evolutionary processes behind the elaboration of simple iron-sulfur clusters into complex metalloclusters.
- To explore how these evolutionary changes conferred specific catalytic and ligand-binding properties.
- To link these evolutionary pressures to changes in Earth's early biosphere.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of simple and complex iron-sulfur cluster structures.
- Hypothesizing evolutionary pathways based on current cluster organization.
- Bioinformatic and biochemical approaches to study cluster assembly and evolution (implied).
Main Results:
- Complex iron-sulfur metalloclusters show significant elaborations compared to simpler clusters.
- These elaborations include metal additions and altered assembly pathways.
- These modifications enhance ligand-binding and catalytic functions.
Conclusions:
- Evolutionary processes, driven by environmental selective pressures, led to the development of complex iron-sulfur metalloclusters.
- These complex clusters were essential for harnessing primordial atmospheric gases like N2, CO, and H2.
- The evolution of these clusters is intrinsically linked to the changing chemical environment of the early biosphere.
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