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Unique sugar metabolism and novel enzymes of hyperthermophilic archaea
Author(s) -
Sakuraba Haruhiko,
Goda Shuichiro,
Ohshima Toshihisa
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
the chemical record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.61
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1528-0691
pISSN - 1527-8999
DOI - 10.1002/tcr.10066
Subject(s) - hyperthermophile , pyrococcus furiosus , archaea , biochemistry , oxidoreductase , biology , ferredoxin , enzyme , gene
Hyperthermophiles are a group of microorganisms that have their optimum growth temperature above 80°C. More than 60 species of the hyperthermophiles have been isolated from marine and continental volcanic environments. Most hyperthermophiles belong to Archaea, the third domain of life, and are considered to be the most ancient of all extant life forms. Recent studies have revealed the presence of unusual sugar metabolic processes in hyperthermophilic archaea, for example, a modified Embden‐Meyerhof pathway, that has so far not been observed in bacteria and eucarya. Several novel enzymes, such as ADP‐dependent glucokinase, ADP‐dependent phosphofructokinase, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate ferredoxin oxidoreductase, phosphoenolpyruvate synthase, pyruvate : ferredoxin oxidoreductase, and ADP‐forming acetyl‐CoA synthetase, have been found to be involved in a modified Embden‐Meyerhof pathway of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus . In addition, a unique mode of ATP regeneration has been postulated to exist in the pathway of P. furiosus . The metabolic design observed in this microorganism might reflect the situation at an early stage of evolution. © 2004 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 3: 281–287; 2004: Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ) DOI 10.1002/tcr.10066