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The evolution of the ribonucleotide reductases: Much ado about oxygen

Poole, AM ; Logan, Derek LU orcid and Sjoberg, BM (2002) In Journal of Molecular Evolution 55(2). p.180-196
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reduction is the only known biological means for de novo production of deoxyribonucleotides, the building blocks of DNA. These are produced from ribonucleotides, the building blocks of RNA, and the direction of this reaction has been taken to support the idea that, in evolution, RNA preceded DNA as genetic material. However, an understanding of the evolutionary relationships among the three modern-day classes of ribonucleotide reductase and how the first reductase arose early in evolution is still far off. We propose that the diversification of this class of enzymes is inherently tied to microbial colonization of aerobic and anaerobic niches. The work is of broader interest, as it also sheds light on the process of... (More)
Ribonucleotide reduction is the only known biological means for de novo production of deoxyribonucleotides, the building blocks of DNA. These are produced from ribonucleotides, the building blocks of RNA, and the direction of this reaction has been taken to support the idea that, in evolution, RNA preceded DNA as genetic material. However, an understanding of the evolutionary relationships among the three modern-day classes of ribonucleotide reductase and how the first reductase arose early in evolution is still far off. We propose that the diversification of this class of enzymes is inherently tied to microbial colonization of aerobic and anaerobic niches. The work is of broader interest, as it also sheds light on the process of adaptation to oxygenic environments consequent to the evolution of atmospheric oxygen. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
evolution, oxygen, anaerobic, aerobic, ribonucleotide reductase, DNA origins
in
Journal of Molecular Evolution
volume
55
issue
2
pages
180 - 196
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000176691400005
  • pmid:12107594
  • scopus:0036306498
  • pmid:12107594
ISSN
0022-2844
DOI
10.1007/s00239-002-2315-3
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
584f2ba8-9eb3-49ad-9f19-faf1156daacb (old id 334116)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:57:36
date last changed
2022-01-26 20:44:01
@article{584f2ba8-9eb3-49ad-9f19-faf1156daacb,
  abstract     = {{Ribonucleotide reduction is the only known biological means for de novo production of deoxyribonucleotides, the building blocks of DNA. These are produced from ribonucleotides, the building blocks of RNA, and the direction of this reaction has been taken to support the idea that, in evolution, RNA preceded DNA as genetic material. However, an understanding of the evolutionary relationships among the three modern-day classes of ribonucleotide reductase and how the first reductase arose early in evolution is still far off. We propose that the diversification of this class of enzymes is inherently tied to microbial colonization of aerobic and anaerobic niches. The work is of broader interest, as it also sheds light on the process of adaptation to oxygenic environments consequent to the evolution of atmospheric oxygen.}},
  author       = {{Poole, AM and Logan, Derek and Sjoberg, BM}},
  issn         = {{0022-2844}},
  keywords     = {{evolution; oxygen; anaerobic; aerobic; ribonucleotide reductase; DNA origins}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{180--196}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Molecular Evolution}},
  title        = {{The evolution of the ribonucleotide reductases: Much ado about oxygen}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00239-002-2315-3}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00239-002-2315-3}},
  volume       = {{55}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}