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Evolution of the vertebrate ParaHox clusters.
Sonja J Prohaska1, Peter F Stadler
1Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, D-04107 Leipzig, Germany. studla@bioinf.uni-leipzig.de
Summary
The ParaHox gene cluster
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary developmental biology
- Comparative genomics
- Vertebrate evolution
Background:
- The ParaHox gene cluster, sister to the Hox cluster, has been studied in metazoans.
- Its evolution in vertebrates, especially after genome duplication, is less understood.
- ParaHox loci are linked to PDGFR tyrosine kinases in humans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary history of the ParaHox cluster in vertebrates.
- To understand gene duplication and loss events following the teleost-specific genome duplication.
Main Methods:
- Comparative genomic analysis
- Phylogenetic analysis of ParaHox genes and associated tyrosine kinases
- Tracing gene duplication and loss events
Main Results:
- ParaHox loci originated from duplications in an ancestral vertebrate.
- Teleost fishes did not expand their ParaHox gene repertoire post-genome duplication.
- Duplicate tyrosine kinase genes associated with ParaHox loci have been retained in teleosts.
Conclusions:
- The teleost ParaHox cluster experienced extensive gene loss after a large-scale duplication event.
- Gene loss in ParaHox contrasts with the retention of associated tyrosine kinase duplicates in teleosts.