Diversity of electron transport chains in anaerobic protists

Ryan M R Gawryluk; Courtney W Stairs

doi:10.1016/j.bbabio.2020.148334

Diversity of electron transport chains in anaerobic protists

Biochim Biophys Acta Bioenerg. 2021 Jan 1;1862(1):148334. doi: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2020.148334. Epub 2020 Nov 4.

Authors

Ryan M R Gawryluk¹, Courtney W Stairs²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
² Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62 Lund, Sweden; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: courtney.stairs@biol.lu.se.

PMID: 33159845
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2020.148334

Abstract

Eukaryotic microbes (protists) that occupy low-oxygen environments often have drastically different mitochondrial metabolism compared to their aerobic relatives. A common theme among many anaerobic protists is the serial loss of components of the electron transport chain (ETC). Here, we discuss the diversity of the ETC across the tree of eukaryotes and review hypotheses for how ETCs are modified, and ultimately lost, in protists. We find that while protists have converged to some of the same metabolism as anaerobic animals, there are clear protist-specific strategies to thrive without oxygen.

Keywords: Anaerobic protists; Electron transport chain; Evolution; Lateral gene transfer; Mitochondrion; Rhodoquinone.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Anaerobiosis
Biological Evolution*
Electron Transport Chain Complex Proteins / metabolism*
Eukaryota / enzymology*
Mitochondrial Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

Electron Transport Chain Complex Proteins
Mitochondrial Proteins