Comparative analyses of fundamental differences in membrane transport Capabilities in Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

Abstract

WhoSe-genome transporter analyses have beer? conducted or? 141 organisms whose complete genome sequences are available. For each organism, the complete set of membrane transport systems was ides-staffed with predicted functions, and classified into protein families based on the transporter ciassification system. Organisms with larger genome sizes generally possessed a relatively greater number of transport systems. In prokaryotes and unicellular eukaryotes, the significant factor in the increase in transporter content with genome size was a greater diversity of transporter types, in contrast, in multiceliuiar eukaryotes, greater number of paraSogs in specific transporter families was the more important factor in the increase in transporter content with genome size. Both eiskaryotic and prokaryotic intraceiiuiar pathogens and endosymbsorsts exhibited markediy umited transport capabilities. Hierarchical clustering of phyaogersetsc profiles of transporter families, derived from the presence or absence of a certain transporter family, showed that clustering patterns of organisms were eorreîaîed to both their evolutionary history and their overall physiology and lifestyles. Copyright: ©2005 Ren and Pauken. '.