Biochemistry A cadmium enzyme from a marine diatom
Abstract
The ocean biota contains a vast reservoir of genomic diversity. Here we present the sequence and preliminary characterization of a protein that is a cadmium-containing carbonic anhydrase from the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii. The existence of a cadmium enzyme in marine phytoplankton may indicate that there is a unique selection pressure for metalloenzymes in the marine environment, and our discovery provides a long-awaited explanation for the nutrient-like behaviour of cadmium in the oceans.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- May 2005
- DOI:
- 10.1038/435042a
- Bibcode:
- 2005Natur.435...42L