Genes encoding respiratory proteins are among those most commonly swapped by lateral transfer. Together, they comprise what biochemist Wolfgang Nitschke calls the ‘redox protein construction kit’. Did you just move to an environment where hydrogen sulphide and oxygen are both common, such as a deep-sea vent? No problem, help yourself to the requisite genes, they’ll work just fine for you, sir. You’ve run out of oxygen? Try nitrite, ma’am! Don’t worry. Take a copy of nitrite reductase and plug it in, you’ll be fine!
