Who Needs Vitamin C?

“Vitamin C is unique…as its essentiality as a nutrient is restricted to only a limited number of exceptional species among phylogenetically higher animals. In other words, nearly all higher animals can synthesize vitamin C…”

1991

Vitamin C

ScurvyScurvy

R.I.P.R.I.P.

James Lind(1716 – 1799)

“…the most sudden and visible good effects were perceived from the use of the oranges and lemons; one of those who had taken them, being at the end of six days fit for duty.”

A treatise of the scurvy, 1753

1933: Vitamin C identified and described.1933: Vitamin C identified and described.1934: Vitamin C artificially synthesized.1934: Vitamin C artificially synthesized.1957: Scurvy due to lack of enzyme.1957: Scurvy due to lack of enzyme.

Evolution is TestableScurvy, Vitamin C, and Common Ancestry

1907: Scurvy occurs in guinea pigs.1907: Scurvy occurs in guinea pigs.

19071907 Scurvy occurs in guinea pigs.

Scurvy occurs in guinea pigs.

1913: Scurvy occurs in other primates.1913: Scurvy occurs in other primates.

19131913 Scurvy occurs in other prim

ates.

Scurvy occurs in other primates.

19331933 Vitam

in C identified and described.

Vitamin C

identified and described.

19341934 Vitam

in C artificially synthesized.

Vitamin C

artificially synthesized.

19571957 Scurvy due to lack of enzym

e.

Scurvy due to lack of enzyme.

Guinea Pigs ChimpanzeesOrangutansMonkeysTarsiers Gibbons Gorillas

Vitamin C Production

D-GLUCOSE D-GLUCURONICACID

D-GLUCURONICACID LACTONE

L-GULONO-LACTONE

2-KETO-GULONO-GAMMA-LACTONE

L-ASCORBICACID

enzyme

1enzyme

2enzyme

3enzyme

4

“GULO”

“VITAMIN C”

Prediction: If the ancestors of humans, other higher primates, and guinea pigs originally had the ability to synthesize vitamin C, then each of these species should carry evidence of this lost ability in their genes.

TACCCCGTGGAGGTACGCTTCACTCGCGGGGACGACATCCTGCTGAGCCCCTACCCTGTGGGGGTGCGCTTCACCCGGGGGGACGACATCCTGCTGAGCCCCTAACCGGTGGGGGTGCGCTTCACCCAAGG-GATGACATCATACTGAGCCCCTACCCGGTGGGGGTGCGCTTCACCCAGAG-GATGACGTCCTACTGAGCCCCTACCTGGTGGGGCTACGCTTCACCTGGAG-GATGACATCCTACTGAGCCCCTACCTGGTGGGGGTACGCTTCACCTGGAG-GATGACATCCTACTGAGCCCC

CACTCGCCCTCAGACATCGCCTGCACTGACGGCTTCATGATCCACATGGGCCACTCCCCCTCCGACATTGCCTGAACAGAGGGCATCATGATCCACAGGGGC

D-GLUCOSE D-GLUCURONICACID

D-GLUCURONICACID LACTONE

L-GULONO-LACTONE

2-KETO-GULONO-GAMMA-LACTONE

L-ASCORBICACID

enzyme

1enzyme

2enzyme

3enzyme

4

“GULO”

GULO-related sequence comparison from exon X

GULO-related sequence comparison from exon III

COW

GUINEA PIG

STOP

COW

GUINEA PIG

MACAQUE

ORANG

CHIMP

HUMAN

GATGACATCATACTGAGCCCCGATGACGTCCTACTGAGCCCCGATGACATCCTACTGAGCCCCGATGACATCCTACTGAGCCCC

premature STOP codons

TGATGATGATGA

premature STOP codon

TGA

Human Chimpanzee Orangutan Macaque Guinea Pig Cow

Deactivation of GULO enzyme

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