Mapping metabolic coevolution identifies c11orf54 as the missing pentose pathway decarboxylase.
Listed in
This article is not in any list yet, why not save it to one of your lists.Abstract
Metabolic networks and enzyme-molecule connections are still being elucidated. Here, through systematic analysis of gene loss and gain across the eukaryotic tree, mapped onto metabolic networks, we build a coevolutionary framework of human metabolism. Using this information, we identify unmapped genes in metabolic pathways, leading to the discovery of C11orf54 as the long-missing decarboxylase of the glucuronate/pentose pathway. These findings provide insights into an alternative route for sugar conversion in humans and other metazoans and its connection to L-ascorbate (vitamin C) biosynthesis. More broadly, our approach offers a framework for mapping missing enzymes across species.
