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Metazoan innovation: from aromatic amino acids to extracellular signaling

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Abstract

Tyrosine depletion in metazoan proteins was recently explained to be due to the appearance of tyrosine kinases in Metazoa. Here, we present a complementary explanation for the depletion of tyrosine, stating the importance of tyrosine in signaling not only as a phosphorylation target but also as a precursor for catecholamines and hormones. Molecules (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, and to a lesser extent serotonin and melatonin) critical to metazoan multicellular signaling are also greatly dependent on a supply of tyrosine. These signaling molecules are synthesized in two highly linked pathways specific to metazoans. In addition, the shikimate pathway that non-metazoans use to synthesize the aromatic amino acids is not present in metazoans. These important pathway changes have occurred between Metazoa and other eukaryotes, causing significant changes to tyrosine metabolism and rendering tyrosine crucial for extracellular signaling. In addition, the evolutionary and functional linkage between these two pathways and the resulting implications for neuropathology are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to John Horner for assistance with manuscript preparation. This work was supported by Award Number P20RR016474 from the National Center for Research Resources. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Research Resources or the National Institutes of Health.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Author notes

  1. Katrina M. Kutchko

    Present address: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY, 82072, USA

    Katrina M. Kutchko & Jessica Siltberg-Liberles

  2. Department of Psychology, Colorado College, 14 E Cache La Poudre, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, USA

    Katrina M. Kutchko

Authors
  1. Katrina M. Kutchko
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  2. Jessica Siltberg-Liberles
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Correspondence to Jessica Siltberg-Liberles.

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Kutchko, K.M., Siltberg-Liberles, J. Metazoan innovation: from aromatic amino acids to extracellular signaling. Amino Acids 45, 359–367 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-013-1509-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-013-1509-x

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