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Evolutionary selection pressure of forkhead domain and functional divergence
Minghui Wang1, Qishan Wang, Hongbo Zhao
1School of Agriculture and Biology, Department of Animal Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China.
Gene
|December 23, 2008
Summary
Forkhead-box (Fox) genes in fungi evolved through duplication and selection, leading to new functions. Analysis revealed 26 orthologous groups and identified specificity-determining positions driving functional divergence.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Molecular genetics
- Mycology
Background:
- Forkhead-box (Fox) genes encode transcription factors with a winged helix DNA-binding domain.
- These genes are crucial for diverse biological processes across metazoans.
- Previous evolutionary selection analyses had not extensively covered fungal Fox genes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To extend evolutionary selection analysis of Forkhead-box (Fox) genes to the fungal kingdom.
- To investigate the evolutionary history and functional divergence of fungal Fox genes.
- To identify molecular mechanisms underlying the diversification of the Fox gene family in fungi.
Main Methods:
- Phylogenetic reconstruction of 335 fungal Fox protein sequences.
- Analysis of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution ratios (dN/dS) for orthologous groups.
- Application of SDPpred to identify specificity-determining positions.
Main Results:
- Reconstruction revealed 26 well-supported orthologous groups of fungal Fox genes.
- Gene duplication and negative selection were identified as key drivers of evolution post-duplication.
- Specificity-determining positions were pinpointed, explaining functional divergence.
Conclusions:
- Fungal Fox gene evolution is characterized by gene duplication, rapid differentiation, and negative selection.
- Gene conversion may also contribute to the evolution of this gene family.
- Identification of specificity-determining positions provides insight into functional divergence and subclass formation within the Fox gene family.
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