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Evolutionary relationships among Rel domains indicate functional diversification by recombination
I A Graef1, J M Gastier, U Francke
1Department of Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305-5323, USA.
Summary
Genomic analysis reveals how rel domains evolved into distinct protein families, including NF-kappaB, NFATc, and TonEBP. Vertebrate-specific NFATc proteins likely evolved for unique functions like immune response and nervous system development.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary genomics
- Molecular biology
- Comparative genomics
Background:
- Genomic sequencing enables tracking gene family evolution via genomic structure.
- Understanding exon-domain associations in invertebrates aids predicting mammalian multidomain protein functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- Determine the genomic structure of 14 invertebrate and vertebrate genes containing rel domains.
- Investigate the evolutionary recombination of rel domains with distinct genomic sequences.
Main Methods:
- Comparative genomic analysis of rel domain-containing genes across species.
- Identification of intronic boundaries defining the rel domain sequence.
- Analysis of gene recombination events and protein family evolution.
Main Results:
- The rel domain recombined with distinct sequences to form rel/Dorsal/NFkappaB, NFATc, and TonEBP proteins.
- A single exon in NFATc genes encodes the entire calcium-sensing region.
- Rel/Dorsal and TonEBP proteins are in Drosophila but not C. elegans; NFATc proteins are vertebrate-specific.
Conclusions:
- The NFATc family's vertebrate-specific presence suggests roles in vertebrate-specific functions.
- These functions may include immune response, cardiovascular development, and nervous system development.