Abstract
The availability of whole genome sequences boosts the identification of biochemical pathways conserved across species using tools of comparative genomics. A cross-organism protein association analysis allowed us to identify two enzymes, ureidoglycine aminohydrolase and ureidoglycolate amidohydrolase, that catalyze the final reactions of purine degradation in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. A similar pathway was found in Escherichia coli, while an alternative metabolic route via ureidoglycine transaminase can be predicted for other organisms.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank F.-Q. Cao for technical support and A. Schäfer from the Institute for Chemistry of the Freie Universität Berlin for NMR measurements. This work was financially supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (WI 3411/1-1).
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A.K.W., experimental design and biochemical experiments; T.R., supply of the laboratory environment; C.-P.W., project planning and design and bioinformatic analysis.
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Werner, A., Romeis, T. & Witte, CP. Ureide catabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana and Escherichia coli. Nat Chem Biol 6, 19–21 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.265
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.265
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