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Gene Duplication and Divergence02:37

Gene Duplication and Divergence

The seminal work of Ohno in 1970 popularized the idea of gene duplication and divergence. DNA sequence comparison studies reveal that a large portion of the genes in bacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes was  generated by gene duplication and divergence, indicating its critical role in evolution.
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are characterized.
Cis-regulatory Sequences02:02

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Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
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Convergent Evolution

Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.The structures that arise from convergent evolution are called analogous structures. They are similar in function even if they are dissimilar in structure. Further, structures can be analogous while also...
Exon Recombination02:32

Exon Recombination

The evolution of new genes is critical for speciation. Exon recombination, also known as exon shuffling or domain shuffling, is an important means of new gene formation. It is observed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and in some plants such as potatoes and sunflowers. During exon recombination, exons from the same or different genes recombine and produce new exon-intron combinations, which might evolve into new genes. 
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Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation02:53

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Because the DNA segments are cut and reorganized in a direction-specific manner, site-specific recombination has emerged as an efficient genetic engineering technique. Flippase and Cyclization recombinases or Flp and Cre, respectively, are two members of the tyrosine recombinase family derived from bacteriophages, that are used to mediate site-specific DNA insertions, deletions, and targeted expression of proteins in mammalian cell lines.
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Evolution of the class C GPCR Venus flytrap modules involved positive selected functional divergence.

Jianhua Cao1, Siluo Huang, Ji Qian

  • 1Key laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China. jhcao@mail.hzau.edu.cn

BMC Evolutionary Biology
|March 28, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Functional divergence, driven by positive selection, shaped the evolution of Class C G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) Venus flytrap modules (VFTMs). This study identified key sites and evolutionary events, offering insights into GPCR structure and function.

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Class C G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) feature a distinct Venus flytrap module (VFTM) crucial for ligand binding.
  • VFTMs share sequence similarity with bacterial periplasmic amino acid binding proteins (PBPs).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate functional divergence and positive selection in Class C GPCR VFTMs.
  • To identify sites of functional divergence and understand evolutionary patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of VFTMs from five Class C GPCR groups.
  • Testing for positive selection and altered selective constraints.
  • 3D modeling of ancestral GPCR VFTMs.

Main Results:

  • Statistically significant altered selective constraints indicate functional divergence post-gene duplication.
  • Positive selection significantly drove VFTM functional divergence.
  • Three gene duplication events shaped the evolutionary topology; distinct functional divergence sites exist across the five GPCR groups.

Conclusions:

  • Functional divergence, involving positive selection, partially explains Class C GPCR VFTM evolutionary patterns.
  • Identified functional divergence sites offer targets for studying GPCR structural-function relationships and activation mechanisms.