Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
08:24
Using Mycobacterium smegmatis as a Bioindicator for Zinc-Limited Growth Conditions in Mycobacteria
Published on: September 20, 2024
Molybdoproteomes and evolution of molybdenum utilization.
1Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0664, USA.
Journal of Molecular Biology
|May 20, 2008
Summary
Molybdenum (Mo) is essential for life, forming the molybdenum cofactor (Moco) in vital enzymes. This study reveals Mo utilization is widespread across life, though many eukaryotes and host-associated organisms have lost this ability.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Molybdenum (Mo) is a critical trace element, essential for numerous enzymes involved in fundamental metabolic processes like nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon cycling.
- The molybdenum cofactor (Moco) is the active form of Mo in most molybdoenzymes, with its structure and function well-studied, but evolutionary insights remain limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses to understand the distribution and evolution of Mo utilization across bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes.
- To investigate the occurrence of Mo transport systems, Moco utilization traits, and Mo-dependent enzymes.
- To explore the relationship between Mo utilization, environmental factors, and organismal characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Comparative genomic analysis of Mo transport and Moco utilization genes.
- Phylogenetic analysis of Mo-dependent enzyme families.
- Correlation analysis between Mo utilization and organismal traits (e.g., habitat, GC content).
Main Results:
- Most prokaryotes and all higher eukaryotes utilize Mo, while many unicellular eukaryotes, including parasites and yeasts, have lost this capability.
- Eukaryotes possess fewer molybdoenzyme families compared to prokaryotes, with sulfite oxidase (SO) being the most widespread in eukaryotes and dimethylsulfoxide reductase (DMSOR) in prokaryotes.
- A link between Mo and selenocysteine utilization was observed in prokaryotes, potentially due to formate dehydrogenase. Host-associated organisms and those with low G+C content showed reduced Mo utilization.
Conclusions:
- Mo utilization is widespread across all domains of life, but its use has been reduced or lost in specific lineages, particularly in eukaryotes and host-associated microbes.
- The study provides a comprehensive evolutionary perspective on Mo metabolism, highlighting the diverse strategies organisms employ for metal acquisition and utilization.
- Environmental and lifestyle factors significantly influence the retention or loss of Mo utilization pathways.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
01:24Microbes and Other Elemental Cycles
Microbial activity plays a pivotal role in the biogeochemical cycling of iron and manganese, especially at the redox gradients characteristic of stratified aquatic environments. These cycles are driven by microbial transformations between oxidized and reduced forms of the metals, allowing organisms to exploit them for metabolic energy and structural purposes.Iron Cycling Across Redox GradientsIn neutral, oxygen-rich surface waters, iron is predominantly found in its oxidized, insoluble ferric...
01:28Microbial Nutrition
Organisms exhibit remarkable metabolic diversity, categorized based on how they acquire energy and carbon. These strategies enable survival in various ecological niches and are essential for maintaining energy flow and nutrient cycling within ecosystems.Energy and Carbon SourcesOrganisms are classified as phototrophs or chemotrophs based on energy acquisition. Phototrophs use light as their energy source, while chemotrophs rely on oxidizing chemical compounds. Further differentiation arises...
02:04Covalently Linked Protein Regulators
Proteins can undergo many types of post-translational modifications, often in response to changes in their environment. These modifications play an important role in the function and stability of these proteins. Covalently linked molecules include functional groups, such as methyl, acetyl, and phosphate groups, and also small proteins, such as ubiquitin. There are around 200 different types of covalent regulators that have been identified.
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.
01:33Proteomics
A proteome is the entire set of proteins that a cell type produces. We can study proteomes using the knowledge of genomes because genes code for mRNAs, and the mRNAs encode proteins. Although mRNA analysis is a step in the right direction, not all mRNAs are translated into proteins.
Proteomics is the study of proteomes' function. It involves the large-scale systematic study of the proteome to denote the protein complement expressed by a genome. Scientist Mark Wilkins coined the term proteomics...
Proteomics is the study of proteomes' function. It involves the large-scale systematic study of the proteome to denote the protein complement expressed by a genome. Scientist Mark Wilkins coined the term proteomics...
01:57Gene Families
Gene families consist of groups of genes proposed to have originated from a common ancestor. Typically these arise through events in which a gene or genes are mistakenly duplicated during cell division. Unlike their parent genes (which are subject to selection pressure to maintain function), these gene copies do not need to preserve their sequences and may evolve at a relatively faster rate.
Occasionally these regions can be adapted to take on new roles within the organism, becoming novel genes...
Occasionally these regions can be adapted to take on new roles within the organism, becoming novel genes...