How can we study life’s deep evolutionary past? By bringing it into the lab! This @asm.org feature highlights our on-going efforts. Read how synthetic biology allows us to reconstruct ancient microbial systems, test hypotheses about early metabolism and explore how life and Earth co-evolved. 🌍
ASM@asm.org · 5d agoSynthetic biology is advancing how scientists study early microbial life. Their findings could revolutionize how we think about Earth’s earliest residents—and those that exist today. asm.org/articles/202...
![Bacterial homologs that catalyze steps in the Moco synthesis pathway are shown in (a) with corresponding homologs in humans, plants, and fungi (Aspergillus nidulans and Neurospora crassa) detailed in (b). Chemical structures for the FeMo cofactor (FeMoco) and the unmodified form of the Mo cofactor (Moco or Mo-MPT for molybdopterin) incorporated by the SO family are also shown. The AOR, DMSOR, and XO families of enzymes require additional modification of Moco (or Wco for W-bound pterin) prior to enzyme incorporation. Chemical structures for these modified cofactors are depicted in (c) where asterisks refer to previous observations of the presence of either Mo or W in cofactors, as has been shown for certain enzymes of the DMSOR and AOR families. Unlike other Moco-using enzymes that contain a single metal center (mononuclear), aerobic carbon monoxide dehydrogenases (CODH) incorporate a binuclear [CuSMo] cluster. These enzymes are grouped into the XO family based on similarities in their coordination of the Mo atom.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ywwbhwuq4sszjve7kdshnahd/bafkreidvrdjjlhgjiqbxwchl3r5gbjt6cbegpijae2o6ihmb7ayi3izaeu)
