On the evolution of cytochrome oxidases consuming oxygen

This review examines the current state of the art on the evolution of the families of Heme Copper Oxygen reductases (HCO) that oxidize cytochrome c and reduce oxygen to water, chiefly cytochrome oxidase, COX. COX is present in many bacterial and most eukaryotic lineages, but its origin has remained elusive. After examining previous proposals for COX evolution, the review summarizes recent insights suggesting that COX enzymes might have evolved in soil dwelling, probably iron-oxidizing bacteria which lived on emerged land over two billion years ago. These bacteria were the likely ancestors of extant acidophilic iron-oxidizers such as Acidithiobacillus spp., which belong to basal lineages of the phylum Proteobacteria. Proteobacteria may thus be considered the originators of COX, which was then laterally transferred to other prokaryotes. The taxonomy of bacteria is presented in relation to the current distribution of COX and C family oxidases, from which COX may have evolved.