Document Detail


Ancestral lipid biosynthesis and early membrane evolution.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  15337120     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Archaea possess unique membrane phospholipids that generally comprise isoprenoid ethers built on sn-glycerol-1-phosphate (G1P). By contrast, bacterial and eukaryal membrane phospholipids are fatty acid esters linked to sn-glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P). The two key dehydrogenase enzymes that produce G1P and G3P, G1PDH and G3PDH, respectively, are not homologous. Various models propose that these enzymes originated during the speciation of the two prokaryotic domains, and the nature (and even the very existence) of lipid membranes in the last universal common ancestor (cenancestor) is subject to debate. G1PDH and G3PDH belong to two separate superfamilies that are universally distributed, suggesting that members of both superfamilies existed in the cenancestor. Furthermore, archaea possess homologues to known bacterial genes involved in fatty acid metabolism and synthesize fatty acid phospholipids. The cenancestor seems likely to have been endowed with membrane lipids whose synthesis was enzymatic but probably non-stereospecific.
Authors:
Juli Peretó; Purificación López-García; David Moreira
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Trends in biochemical sciences     Volume:  29     ISSN:  0968-0004     ISO Abbreviation:  Trends Biochem. Sci.     Publication Date:  2004 Sep 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2004-08-31     Completed Date:  2004-12-23     Revised Date:  2006-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7610674     Medline TA:  Trends Biochem Sci     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  469-77     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Unité d'Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, UMR CNRS 8079, Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Archaea / classification,  genetics,  physiology
Bacteria / classification,  genetics
Cell Membrane / physiology,  ultrastructure
Evolution, Molecular*
Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases / genetics
Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase / genetics
Lipids / biosynthesis*
Membrane Lipids / biosynthesis*
Phospholipids / biosynthesis*
Phylogeny
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Lipids; 0/Membrane Lipids; 0/Phospholipids; EC 1.1.-/Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase; EC 1.1.1.-/glycerol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase; EC 1.2.1.-/Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases

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