HR: 09:30h
AN: B51D-07 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Metals as Selective Agents in the Evolution of Metabolic Pathways
AU: * Falkowski, P G
EM: falko@imcs.rutgers.edu
AF: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 United States
AU: * Falkowski, P G
EM: falko@imcs.rutgers.edu
AF: Dept of Geological Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854 United States
AB: The evolution of coupled redox reactions which form the basic metabolic pathways on Earth was driven by the availability but not the catalytic efficiency of transition metals. Regardless whether the metals are contained within secondary prosthetic group (e.g., porphyrins), their catalytic selectivity is determined by the protein moieties. In complex metabolic pathways, such as photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, and aerobic respiration, the protein moieties cooperatively interact and the protein-protein interactions constrain the rate of evolution of the ensemble. The protein-protein interactions were, in turn, constrained by the metal or prosthetic group binding and chemistry. Hence, metal cofactors became a major agent that set the tempo of evolution in many metabolic pathways - the result being conservation of pathways, often at the cost of efficiency.
DE: 4853 Photosynthesis
DE: 1010 Chemical evolution
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting