Classification of tungsten-containing oxidoreductases provides insights into their biochemical and physiological diversity

Tungsten-containing oxidoreductases (WORs) are a diverse family of enzymes with over 4,000 known members that can be subdivided into 92 clades based on the phylogeny of the large pyranopterin cofactor-containing large subunit (WorL). Despite being widespread in Bacteria and Archaea, particularly in members of the human microbiome, only five of the 92 WOR clades contain a WOR with a defined physiological role in cellular metabolism, primarily—but not exclusively—involved in oxidation of various a