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Los motores microbianos que impulsan los ciclos biogeoquímicos de la Tierra
Paul G Falkowski1, Tom Fenchel, Edward F Delong
1Environmental Biophysics and Molecular Ecology Program, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. falko@marine.rutgers.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|May 24, 2008
Resumen
Las nanomáquinas microbianas impulsan la transferencia de electrones, esencial para la vida y los ciclos biogeoquímicos de la Tierra. Comprender su evolución y función es clave para comprender los procesos moleculares y planetarios.
Área de la Ciencia:
- La bioquímica es la bioquímica.
- Microbiología Microbiología.
- La geoquímica es la geoquímica.
Sus antecedentes:
- Los procesos de transferencia de electrones son fundamentales para la vida y los ciclos biogeoquímicos.
- Las máquinas nanobiológicas, que comprenden complejos de proteínas y grupos protésicos, impulsan estas transferencias de electrones.
- Estas máquinas evolucionaron temprano en la historia microbiana y están altamente conservadas a pesar de la diversidad genética.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Para resaltar la naturaleza conservada de los genes centrales responsables de las principales reacciones redox.
- Para enfatizar la coevolución de estos genes con los ciclos biogeoquímicos.
- Identificar las vías evolutivas y los mecanismos funcionales de estas nanomáquinas esenciales.
Principales métodos:
- Análisis de genes microbianos conservados involucrados en reacciones redox.
- Investigar el papel de la transferencia génica horizontal en la diseminación de estos genes.
- Genómica comparativa para comprender la evolución de las máquinas nanobiológicas.
Principales resultados:
- Existe un conjunto estable de genes centrales para las reacciones redox esenciales en diversas formas de vida.
- Estos genes son parte integral de los ciclos biogeoquímicos de la Tierra.
- La transferencia horizontal de genes juega un papel importante en la propagación de estos elementos genéticos críticos.
Conclusiones:
- Las máquinas nanobiológicas son antiguas, conservadas y cruciales para la vida y los procesos planetarios.
- Comprender su evolución y función es un gran desafío científico.
- Se necesita más investigación para dilucidar sus mecanismos de control a escala molecular y planetaria.
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