Unusual cyanobacterial TCA cycles: not broken just different

As a fundamental energy-conserving process common to all living organisms, respiration is responsible for the oxidation of respiratory substrates to drive ATP synthesis. Accordingly, it has long been accepted that a complete tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is necessary for respiratory energy producti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in plant science 2012-09, Vol.17 (9), p.503-509
Main Authors: Steinhauser, Dirk, Fernie, Alisdair R, Araújo, Wagner L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
adenosine triphosphate
Biological and medical sciences
Cell Respiration
Citric Acid Cycle - physiology
Cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteria - enzymology
Cyanobacteria - metabolism
Cyanobacteria - physiology
enzymes
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase Complex - genetics
oxidation
prokaryotic cells
Signal Transduction
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Summary:As a fundamental energy-conserving process common to all living organisms, respiration is responsible for the oxidation of respiratory substrates to drive ATP synthesis. Accordingly, it has long been accepted that a complete tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is necessary for respiratory energy production. Cyanobacteria, similar to some other prokaryotes, appeared to have an incomplete TCA cycle because they lack the enzyme 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDH). However, it has recently been reported that the cycle can be completed by the action of two alternative enzymes. In this opinion article, we discuss the progress being made to elucidate the nature of the TCA cycles in cyanobacteria and plants and outline open questions concerning the functional significance of this unusual metabolic feature in a broader evolutionary context.
ISSN:1360-1385
1878-4372
DOI:10.1016/j.tplants.2012.05.005