Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Other Glycolytic Pathways01:24

Other Glycolytic Pathways

The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) operates in parallel with glycolysis, facilitating the metabolism of both pentoses and glucose. This pathway consists of two distinct phases: the oxidative and non-oxidative phases. While it does not directly generate ATP, the intermediates formed during the process can integrate into glycolysis, contributing to cellular energy metabolism when required.Oxidative Phase: NADPH ProductionThe oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate pathway is primarily...
Glycolysis: Preparatory Phase01:21

Glycolysis: Preparatory Phase

In cellular metabolism (the complete breakdown of glucose to extract energy),  glycolysis is the first step. Glycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Glucose enters heterotrophic cells in two ways. One method is through secondary active transport, where the transport takes place against the glucose concentration gradient. The other mechanism uses a group of integral proteins called GLUT proteins, also known as glucose transporter proteins. These...
Glycolysis01:23

Glycolysis

Glycolysis, the Embden-Meyerhof pathway, is a central metabolic pathway involved in glucose catabolism. It is highly conserved across most organisms, reflecting its fundamental role in cellular energy production. This process occurs in the cytoplasm and can function both in the presence and absence of oxygen, making it versatile for various organisms and environmental conditions.Stages of GlycolysisGlycolysis is a ten-step pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate, generating a net gain of...
Biosynthesis of Polysaccharides01:26

Biosynthesis of Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides such as glycogen and starch are synthesized from nucleoside diphosphate sugars, primarily uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPG) and adenosine diphosphate glucose (ADPG). These activated glucose donors act as key intermediates in carbohydrate metabolism and biosynthesis. UDPG primarily involves glycogen synthesis in animals and many bacteria, while ADPG plays a fundamental role in starch synthesis in plants and certain bacteria.UDPG is formed when glucose-1-phosphate reacts with...
Energy-requiring Steps of Glycolysis01:20

Energy-requiring Steps of Glycolysis

Glucose is the source of nearly all energy used by organisms. The first step of converting glucose into usable energy is called glycolysis. Glycolysis occurs in the cytosol of the cell over two phases: an energy-requiring phase and an energy-releasing phase. Over the first three steps, glucose is converted into different forms and attached to two phosphate groups donated by two ATP molecules, resulting in an unstable sugar. In the next two stages, the unstable sugar splits into two sugar...
Carbohydrate Catabolism01:30

Carbohydrate Catabolism

Carbohydrate catabolism is a fundamental process in cellular metabolism that enables energy extraction from glucose through two primary pathways: cellular respiration and fermentation. Both pathways begin with glycolysis, which operates independently of oxygen availability.Glycolysis: A Shared Starting PointGlycolysis is an oxygen-independent process that breaks down glucose into two molecules of pyruvic acid. During this process, a net gain of two ATP molecules and two NADH molecules is...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Early Evolution of the Prokaryotic Transcription Factor Repertoire.

Genome biology and evolution·2026
Same author

The yeast mitochondrial porin represses Snf1/AMP kinase signaling to attenuate viral replication.

Genetics·2026
Same author

Altered transposon element-derived genes distort oxygen-free radical scavenger systems in FXD.

NAR molecular medicine·2026
Same author

Bioenergetic reprogramming of macrophages reduces drug tolerance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Active control of mitochondrial network morphology by metabolism-driven redox state.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Diurnal variation in skeletal muscle mitochondrial function dictates time-of-day-dependent exercise capacity.

FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology·2025
Same journal

Unique tunicate traits possibly encoded by horizontally transferred genes.

Genome biology and evolution·2026
Same journal

Tracking the evolutionary trajectory of a young hybrid plant pathogen.

Genome biology and evolution·2026
Same journal

Insights into the phylogeny and enigmatic mitochondrial biology of eustigmatophyte algae from over 50 newly sequenced organellar genomes.

Genome biology and evolution·2026
Same journal

Genomic evidence for natural selection underlying high-altitude adaptive hemoglobin levels among Peruvian Andeans.

Genome biology and evolution·2026
Same journal

Host Range Breadth Correlates with Genic Diversity in Honeybee Phages.

Genome biology and evolution·2026
Same journal

Genome-wide analysis of an endangered axolotl endemic to Mexico reveals genomic variation associated with body condition, environment and infection by a pathogenic fungus.

Genome biology and evolution·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2026

Rapid One-step Enzymatic Synthesis and All-aqueous Purification of Trehalose Analogues
09:27

Rapid One-step Enzymatic Synthesis and All-aqueous Purification of Trehalose Analogues

Published on: February 17, 2017

Evolutionary Analysis of Trehalose Breakdown Pathways.

G Ganesh Muthu1,2, Sunil Laxman1, Aswin Sai Narain Seshasayee3

  • 1Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (BRIC inStem), Bangalore 560065, India.

Genome Biology and Evolution
|May 23, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Trehalose breakdown pathways evolved differently across life. Eukaryotes mostly use trehalase, except birds which lost it. Prokaryotes utilize diverse, independently evolved pathways for this sugar.

Keywords:
bacteriaevolutionfungimetabolismtrehalose

More Related Videos

Purification of the Sarco-Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase from Rabbit Muscle
08:37

Purification of the Sarco-Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase from Rabbit Muscle

Published on: March 21, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 24, 2026

Rapid One-step Enzymatic Synthesis and All-aqueous Purification of Trehalose Analogues
09:27

Rapid One-step Enzymatic Synthesis and All-aqueous Purification of Trehalose Analogues

Published on: February 17, 2017

Purification of the Sarco-Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase from Rabbit Muscle
08:37

Purification of the Sarco-Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase from Rabbit Muscle

Published on: March 21, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Trehalose is a disaccharide crucial for cellular stress protection and energy metabolism.
  • The evolutionary history and distribution of trehalose catabolism pathways across life are poorly understood.
  • Understanding these pathways is key to knowing which organisms can utilize trehalose as a carbon source.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a comprehensive evolutionary analysis of the four known trehalose breakdown pathways: trehalase, trehalose phosphorylases (TP), and trehalose-specific phosphotransferases (PTS).
  • To investigate the distribution of these pathways across approximately 3800 prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes.
  • To elucidate the evolutionary landscape and functional significance of trehalose utilization in different life forms.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative genomics analysis of trehalose breakdown enzyme families.
  • Phylogenetic reconstruction to trace the evolutionary history of trehalase, trehalose phosphorylases, and trehalose-specific phosphotransferases.
  • Genome-wide distribution analysis across a diverse set of prokaryotic and eukaryotic species.

Main Results:

  • Trehalase was likely present in the Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor (LECA) and is nearly ubiquitous in eukaryotes, with a notable loss in the avian lineage.
  • Fungi uniquely possess both trehalase and additional trehalose phosphorylases (TP).
  • Prokaryotic trehalose breakdown is sporadic, involving multiple independently evolved pathways including trehalase, TP, and the trehalose-specific PTS, with a subset of Gammaproteobacteria retaining the PTS.

Conclusions:

  • The study reveals the diverse evolutionary trajectories of trehalose catabolism across prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
  • Trehalose breakdown pathways exhibit significant variation, including losses and independent acquisitions, reflecting different metabolic strategies.
  • The retention of trehalose-specific PTS in fast-growing Gammaproteobacteria highlights its importance, as its loss impacts growth in species like Escherichia coli.