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The evolution of calcium biochemistry.

Robert J P Williams¹

¹Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QR, UK. bob.williams@chem.ox.ac.uk

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta

|October 7, 2006

Summary

Calcium

Area of Science:

Evolutionary Biology
Biochemistry
Systems Biology

Background:

Calcium's intrinsic value as a divalent cation enables rapid binding and precipitation of anions.
This binding can be either useful or inhibitory within biological systems.
Understanding calcium's role requires considering both thermodynamic (systems biology) and structural (molecular biology) perspectives.

Purpose of the Study:

To outline the systems biology of calcium function evolution from prokaryotes to animals.
To describe the evolution of calcium-binding proteins involved in cellular signaling.
To highlight calcium's inevitable role as a major control messenger in ecological evolution.

Main Methods:

Review of evolutionary pathways of calcium functions.

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Analysis of environmental factors favoring calcium's role.

Examination of protein evolution for calcium messenger functions.

Main Results:

Calcium's unique environmental availability made it a prime candidate for its diverse functions.
The evolution of calcium's role spans from simple prokaryotes to complex animals with brains.
Calcium's increasing involvement as a control messenger is an inevitable outcome of environmental/organism evolution.

Conclusions:

Calcium's multifaceted role in evolution is driven by its chemical properties and environmental availability.
The evolution of calcium-dependent signaling pathways is crucial for biological complexity.
Calcium's central role as a messenger underscores the interconnectedness of environmental and organismal evolution.