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User:Reidbrown0605/Nitrogen fixation

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Article Draft[edit]

I couldn't figure out how to post in the section of the article I plan on editing. In short, I plan on adding a section to the Nitrogen Fixation article. Specifically, I want to add a section discussing the evolutionary history of how nitrogenase evolved. I think the best place for that would be in the Biological section, under the microorganisms subsection. I will add a new subsection called "Evolution of Nitrogenase". Below is my drafted text.

Evolution of Nitrogenase[edit]

The origin of nitrogenase has been of interest to paleobiologists and is a current area of active research[1]. Nitrogenase is thought to have evolved sometime between 1.5-2.2 billion years ago (Ga)[2] although some isotopic support showing nitrogenase evolution as early as around 3.2 Ga[3]. Nitrogenase appears to have evolved maturase-like proteins, although the function of the preceding protein is currently unknown[4].

Nitrogenase has three different forms (Nif, Anf, and Vnf) that correspond with the metal found in the active site of the protein (Molybdenum, Iron, and Vanadium respectively)[5]. Marine metal abundances over Earth’s geologic timeline are thought to have driven the relative abundance of which form of nitrogenase was most common[6]. Currently, there is no conclusive agreement on which form of nitrogenase arose first.  

  1. ^ Garcia, Amanda K.; McShea, Hanon; Kolaczkowski, Bryan; Kaçar, Betül (2020-05). "Reconstructing the evolutionary history of nitrogenases: Evidence for ancestral molybdenum‐cofactor utilization". Geobiology. 18 (3): 394–411. doi:10.1111/gbi.12381. ISSN 1472-4677. PMC 7216921. PMID 32065506. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: PMC format (link)
  2. ^ Boyd, E. S.; Anbar, A. D.; Miller, S.; Hamilton, T. L.; Lavin, M.; Peters, J. W. (2011-05). "A late methanogen origin for molybdenum‐dependent nitrogenase". Geobiology. 9 (3): 221–232. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4669.2011.00278.x. ISSN 1472-4677. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Stüeken, Eva E.; Buick, Roger; Guy, Bradley M.; Koehler, Matthew C. (2015-04). "Isotopic evidence for biological nitrogen fixation by molybdenum-nitrogenase from 3.2 Gyr". Nature. 520 (7549): 666–669. doi:10.1038/nature14180. ISSN 0028-0836. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Garcia, Amanda K; Kolaczkowski, Bryan; Kaçar, Betül (2022-03-02). Archibald, John (ed.). "Reconstruction of Nitrogenase Predecessors Suggests Origin from Maturase-Like Proteins". Genome Biology and Evolution. 14 (3). doi:10.1093/gbe/evac031. ISSN 1759-6653. PMC 8890362. PMID 35179578.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link)
  5. ^ Eady, Robert R. (1996-01-01). "Structure−Function Relationships of Alternative Nitrogenases". Chemical Reviews. 96 (7): 3013–3030. doi:10.1021/cr950057h. ISSN 0009-2665.
  6. ^ Anbar, A. D.; Knoll, A. H. (2002-08-16). "Proterozoic Ocean Chemistry and Evolution: A Bioinorganic Bridge?". Science. 297 (5584): 1137–1142. doi:10.1126/science.1069651. ISSN 0036-8075.