From Protein Folding to Blood Coagulation: Menaquinone as a Metabolic Link between Bacteria and Mammals

Abstract

Menaquinones have long played a central role in bacterial metabolism due to their solubility in membranes and their ability to mediate electron transfer reactions between a large variety of enzymes. In addition to acting as important nodes in fermentation and respiration, menaquinones are critical to the formation of disulphide bonds in the periplasm. Their utility as molecular wires has also led to their incorporation into redox reactions in higher-order organisms, where they participate in numerous physiological processes, including blood coagulation. Through studying the menaquinone-dependent pathways in organisms across the phylogenetic spectrum, researchers have begun to uncover intriguing metabolic links and have identified novel compounds for modulating these vital pathways.