Eukaryotes anaerobic, iron-sulfur proteins

Formate dehydrogenases are a diverse group of enzymes found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, capable of converting formate to CO2. Formate dehydrogenases from anaerobic microorganisms are, in most cases, Mo- or W- containing iron-sulfur proteins and additionally flavin or hemes. Selenium cysteine is a Mo- ligand. 

Lill R, Muhlenhoff U (2006) Iron-sulfur protein biogenesis in eukaryotes components and mechanisms. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 22 457-486 Lill R, Diekert K, Kaut A, Lange H, Pelzer W, Prohl C, Kispal G (1999) The essential role of mitochondria in the biogenesis of cellular iron-sulfur proteins. Biol Chem 380 1157-1166 Lindmark DG (1980) Energy metabolism of the anaerobic protozoon Giardia lamblia. Mol Biochem Parasitol 1 1-12... 

Hausmann A, Aguilar Netz DJ, Balk J, Pierik AJ, Muhlenhoff U, Lill R (2005) The eukaryotic P loop NTPase NBP35 An essential component of the cytosolic and nuclear iron-sulfur protein assembly machinery. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102 3266-3271 Henriquez FL, Richards , Roberts F, McLeod R, Roberts CW (2005) The unusual mitochondrial compartment of Cryptosporidium parvum. Trends Parasitol 21 68-74 Horner DS, Foster PG, Embley TM (2000) Iron hydrogenases and the evolution of anaerobic eukaryotes. Mol Biol Evol 17 1695-1709... 

Thus both iron—sulfur proteins and SOD will continue to provide us with two metal proteins which span the anaerobic/aerobic and the prokaryote/eukaryote transitions in the development of plants and animals from bacteria and algae. 

Most oxidoreductases of these parasites are similar to those in other eukaryotes in using pyridine nucleotides (NAD and NADP) as redox partners. In addition, however, their core metabolism is characterized by an important involvement of iron-sulfur proteins, which is also a characteristic of anaerobic eubacteria. The key step in pyruvate metabolism, its oxidative decarboxylation to acetyl-CoA, is catalyzed by an iron-sulfur enzyme, pyruvateTerredoxin oxidoreductase. The enzyme has been characterized from... 

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