What is it about?
Cells make most of their energy through an electron transport system, a chain of reactions that moves electrons to produce power. But if electrons leak from this chain, they can create harmful reactive molecules. Our study shows that an older type of electron carrier (a low-energy quinone) works best when paired with a non-pumping enzyme that feeds electrons into the chain. This partnership keeps the electrons flowing safely and efficiently, reducing the risk of damaging leaks.
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Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Energy supply is crucial for all lifeforms including bacteria. Bacteria poses a flexible energy generation system that allows them to adapt to various conditions. The identification of interplay between respiratory components can enable ways to control pathogenic bacteria.
Perspectives
This article solved a puzzle from my previous publications where we noticed a paradox between the genetic mutation and phenotypic improvements. We observed an extremely clever adaptive approach to induce the expression of growth promoting gene and reduce the expression of growth restrictive resources.
Amitesh Anand
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Naphthoquinone preferentially pairs with non-proton-pumping NADH dehydrogenase for respiratory electron transport, PLoS Genetics, September 2025, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011877.
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