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MBE Advance Access published online on June 13, 2007
Molecular Biology and Evolution, doi:10.1093/molbev/msm090
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Research Article

Lanosterol Biosynthesis in the Prokaryote Methylococcus capsulatus: Insight into the Evolution of Sterol Biosynthesis

David C. Lamb*, Colin J. Jackson*, Andrew G.S. Warrilow*, Nigel J. Manning{dagger}, Diane E. Kelly* and Steven L. Kelly*,1

* Wolfson Laboratory of P450 Biodiversity, Swansea Medical School, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
{dagger} Clinical Chemistry, Sheffield Childrens Hospital, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TH, UK

1 To whom correspondence should be addressed. Professor Steven Kelly, Wolfson Laboratory of P450 Biodiversity, Swansea Medical School, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK, Tel: (44) 1792 602207, Fax: (44) 1792 513430, Email: s.l.kelly{at}swansea.ac.uk

Received for publication November 29, 2006. Revision received March 6, 2007. Revision received April 26, 2007. Accepted for publication May 2, 2007.

A putative operon containing homologues of essential eukaryotic sterol biosynthetic enzymes, squalene monooxygenase and oxidosqualene cyclase, has been identified in the genome of the prokaryote Methylococcus capsulatus. Expression of the squalene monooxygenase yielded a protein associated with the membrane fraction whilst expression of oxidosqualene cyclase yielded a soluble protein, contrasting with the eukaryotic enzyme forms. Activity studies with purified squalene monooxygenase revealed a catalytic activity in epoxidation of 0.35 nmol oxidosqualene produced/min/nmol squalene monooxygenase whilst oxidosqualene cyclase catalytic activity revealed cyclisation of oxidosqualene to lanosterol with 0.6 nmol lanosterol produced/ min/ nmol oxidosqualene cyclase and no other products observed. The presence of prokaryotic sterol biosynthesis is still regarded as rare and these are the first representatives of such prokaryotic enzymes to be studied providing new insight into the evolution of sterol biosynthesis in general.

Key Words: sterol • squalene monooxygenase • oxidosqualene cyclase • Methylococcus capsulatus • cytochrome P450 • evolution


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[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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