title: Toward a systems biology perspective on enzyme evolution.
abstract: Large superfamilies of enzymes derived from a common progenitor have emerged by duplication and divergence of genes encoding metabolic enzymes. Division of the functions of early generalist enzymes enhanced catalytic power and control over metabolic fluxes. Later, novel enzymes evolved from inefficient secondary activities in specialized enzymes. Enzymes operate in the context of complex metabolic and regulatory networks. The potential for evolution of a new enzyme depends upon the collection of enzymes in a microbe, the topology of the metabolic network, the environmental conditions, and the net effect of trade-offs between the original and novel activities of the enzyme.
authors: Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309. Electronic address: shelley@cires.colorado.edu.
authors: Shelley D
authors: SD
authors: Copley
mesh_terms: D004798:Enzymes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D049490:Systems Biology / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes