title: Evolution in action.
abstract: The alpha/beta barrel enzyme phosphotriesterase from soil bacteria appears to have evolved the ability to hydrolyze the insecticide paraoxon at the diffusion limit in only a few decades. A newly-identified open reading frame from Escherichia coli may offer a clue to its origins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0446, USA.
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Scanlan
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Reid
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase; D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004950:Esterases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D007306:Insecticides / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010261:Paraoxon / Q000378:metabolism*; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D004950:Esterases; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase; D010261:Paraoxon