114 / 2025-04-01 08:56:30
Genomic Records of Ancient Earth Oxygenation Events: A Biological Proxy Through Protein Carbon Oxidation States
Carbon oxidation states,Great Oxidation Event,Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event,Biological proxies,Thermodynamic analysis,Redox gradients
摘要待审
Jeffrey Dick / Central South University
宏忱 蒋 / 中国地质大学(武汉)
Douglas LaRowe / Southern Methodist University

Geological evidence of Earth’s Great Oxidation Event (GOE) and Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event (NOE) provides a timeline of atmospheric oxygen rise, but a critical gap remains in understanding how organisms genetically adapt to shifting redox conditions. This study bridges this gap by analyzing carbon oxidation state (Zc)—a quantitative measure determined by amino acid composition—across 178 genomes spanning diverse metabolic groups and reconstructed ancestral sequences of key enzymes. Our analyses reveal consistent oxidation patterns correlating with major oxygenation events: Class II methanogens show genome-wide elevated Zc compared to Class I methanogens, with adaptations persisting across proteins with varying expression levels and different GC contents and metabolic costs. Eukaryotic gene age groups exhibit increasing Zc for proteins dating to the GOE period, with unicellular eukaryotes showing a secondary peak during the NOE while multicellular lineages display decreasing Zc—suggesting physiological constraints in oxygen delivery to tissues in complex organisms. Remarkably, reconstructed ancestral Rubisco sequences demonstrate increasing oxidation state along evolutionary branches, particularly around the GOE. Thermodynamic analysis reveals that photosynthetic organisms, represented by Rubisco, occupied more oxidizing environments compared to methanogens and non-photosynthetic ammonium oxidizers, suggesting spatial redox gradients during the GOE period. These findings establish Zc as a dependable genomic proxy for reconstructing ancient redox conditions and organismal adaptations, providing a biological record that complements geological evidence. By analyzing protein composition across phylogenetically diverse organisms, we offer a novel approach to quantifying the coevolutionary dynamics between life and Earth’s oxygenation history, aligning with fundamental concepts in energy minimization and adaptive evolution.

重要日期
  • 会议日期

    06月10日

    2025

    06月13日

    2025

  • 04月15日 2025

    初稿截稿日期

主办单位
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Geobiology Society
National Committee of Stratigraphy of China
Ministry of Science and Technology
Geological Society of China
Paleontological Society of China
Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, CAS
International Commission on Stratigraphy
International Paleontological Association
承办单位
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (CUG, Wuhan)
联系方式
历届会议
移动端
在手机上打开
小程序
打开微信小程序
客服
扫码或点此咨询