Exploring polyamine biosynthetic diversity through comparative and functional genomics.

Anthony J Michael

Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Forest Park, Dallas, TX, USA.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) 2011

filter terms:

The existence of multiple, alternative pathways for polyamine biosynthesis, and the presence of alternative polyamine structural analogs, is an indication of the physiological importance of polyamines and their long evolutionary history. Polyamine biosynthesis is modular: diamines are synthesized directly or indirectly from amino acids, and triamines are synthesized from diamines by transfer of aminopropyl, carboxyaminopropyl, or aminobutyl groups to the diamine. Diversification of polyamine biosynthesis has depended on gene duplication and functional divergence, on gene fusion, and on horizontal gene transfer. Four examples of polyamine biosynthetic diversification are presented here with a discussion of methodological and conceptual approaches for identification of new pathways.

Citation

Anthony J Michael. Exploring polyamine biosynthetic diversity through comparative and functional genomics. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.). 2011;720:39-50