anaerobic metabolism Archives

The diverging paths of iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) from minerals to proteins. Fe-based metabolisms flourish both before and after Earth’s oxygenation. Ni-based metabolisms are almost exclusively anaerobic, reflecting their origin in the reducing Archean. Fe is used by biology as a generalist, due to its flexibility, which can be seen both in its diverse mineral chemistry and in metal-binding centers of proteins. Ni is less flexible mineralogically, chemically in proteins, and more evolutionarily constrained, as reflected by its metabolic exclusion from oxidized environments. -- LIFE

Diverging Mineral Chemistry of Iron and Nickel Throughout Earth’s Changing Redox Conditions Reveals Foundation for Their Evolution as Protein Cofactors

by Keith CowingJuly 14, 2026July 14, 2026

[LIFE] Iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) were both foundational to early metabolism, yet their biological trajectories diverged as Earth’s surface redox state changed. Here, we integrate mineral chemistry network analysis, […]

Spores of the parasite H. salminicola swim under a microscope. Those alien "eyes" are actually stinger cells, one of the few features this organism hasn't evolved away. (Image credit: Stephen Douglas Atkinson)

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Henneguya salminicola Lacks A Mitochondrial Genome And Does Not Require Oxygen

by Keith CowingJanuary 12, 2025January 11, 2025

Mitochondrial respiration is an ancient characteristic of eukaryotes. However, it was lost independently in multiple eukaryotic lineages as part of adaptations to an anaerobic lifestyle.