Document Detail


Adaptive signals in algal Rubisco reveal a history of ancient atmospheric carbon dioxide.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  22232761     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Rubisco, the most abundant enzyme on the Earth and responsible for all photosynthetic carbon fixation, is often thought of as a highly conserved and sluggish enzyme. Yet, different algal Rubiscos demonstrate a range of kinetic properties hinting at a history of evolution and adaptation. Here, we show that algal Rubisco has indeed evolved adaptively during ancient and distinct geological periods. Using DNA sequences of extant marine algae of the red and Chromista lineage, we define positive selection within the large subunit of Rubisco, encoded by rbcL, to occur basal to the radiation of modern marine groups. This signal of positive selection appears to be responding to changing intracellular concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) triggered by physiological adaptations to declining atmospheric CO(2). Within the ecologically important Haptophyta (including coccolithophores) and Bacillariophyta (diatoms), positive selection occurred consistently during periods of falling Phanerozoic CO(2) and suggests emergence of carbon-concentrating mechanisms. During the Proterozoic, a strong signal of positive selection after secondary endosymbiosis occurs at the origin of the Chromista lineage (approx. 1.1 Ga), with further positive selection events until 0.41 Ga, implying a significant and continuous decrease in atmospheric CO(2) encompassing the Cryogenian Snowball Earth events. We surmise that positive selection in Rubisco has been caused by declines in atmospheric CO(2) and hence acts as a proxy for ancient atmospheric CO(2).
Authors:
J N Young; R E M Rickaby; M V Kapralov; D A Filatov
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences     Volume:  367     ISSN:  1471-2970     ISO Abbreviation:  Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond., B, Biol. Sci.     Publication Date:  2012 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2012-01-10     Completed Date:  2012-04-26     Revised Date:  2013-05-22    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7503623     Medline TA:  Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  483-92     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK.
Data Bank Information
Bank Name/Acc. No.:
GENBANK/HQ656822;  HQ656823;  HQ656824;  HQ656825;  HQ656826;  HQ656827;  HQ656828;  HQ656829;  HQ656830;  HQ656831;  HQ656832;  HQ656833;  HQ656834;  HQ656835;  HQ656836;  HQ656837;  HQ656838
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adaptation, Physiological*
Atmosphere / chemistry*
Base Sequence
Bayes Theorem
Carbon Dioxide / chemistry*
DNA, Plant / genetics
Genes, Plant
Haptophyta / classification,  enzymology,  genetics
Molecular Sequence Data
Oxygen / chemistry
Photosynthesis
Phylogeny
Rhodophyta / classification,  enzymology*,  genetics
Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase / chemistry*,  classification,  genetics
Selection, Genetic
Time Factors
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/DNA, Plant; 124-38-9/Carbon Dioxide; 7782-44-7/Oxygen; EC 4.1.1.39/RbcL protein, plastid; EC 4.1.1.39/Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase
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