| Title |
Are histones, tubulin, and actin derived from a common ancestral protein?
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Protoplasma, July 2008
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s00709-008-0305-z |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
J. Gardiner, P. McGee, R. Overall, J. Marc |
| Abstract |
Histones and the cytoskeletal components tubulin and actin all act as thermal ratchets, using the energy present in Brownian motion to do work. All three also bind to nucleotides. Here we suggest that histones, tubulin, and actin derive from a common ancestral protein. There is some sequence similarity between histone 2A and the bacterial tubulin homologue FtsZ. Histones and actin also share some sequence similarity in the nucleotides and at phosphate-binding sites. Thus, actin and tubulin may also be related, although this is not obvious from sequence analysis. Indeed, actin and tubulin are closely functionally related and cooperate in many cellular processes. Interestingly, recent advances in nanotechnology suggest that thermal ratchets may be able to impart lifelike properties; thus, the evolution of the ancestral histone, tubulin, and actin thermal ratchet may have been crucial in the development of complexity in living organisms. |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 25 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 | 4% |
| Russia | 1 | 4% |
| Norway | 1 | 4% |
| Unknown | 22 | 88% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 6 | 24% |
| Student > Master | 5 | 20% |
| Researcher | 5 | 20% |
| Professor > Associate Professor | 4 | 16% |
| Student > Doctoral Student | 2 | 8% |
| Other | 3 | 12% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 17 | 68% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 4 | 16% |
| Engineering | 2 | 8% |
| Physics and Astronomy | 1 | 4% |
| Arts and Humanities | 1 | 4% |
| Other | 0 | 0% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 15 January 2013.
All research outputs
#7,452,489
of 22,783,848 outputs
Outputs from Protoplasma
#133
of 970 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#28,564
of 81,601 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Protoplasma
#3
of 3 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 22,783,848 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 44th percentile – i.e., 44% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 970 research outputs from this source. They receive a mean Attention Score of 2.4. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 61% of its peers.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 3 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one.