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Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis
Published on: February 16, 2015
Positive selection on apoptosis related genes
Rute R da Fonseca1, Carolin Kosiol, Tomás Vinar
1Department of Integrative Biology, UC-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. rute.r.da.fonseca@gmail.com
FEBS Letters
|December 23, 2009
Summary
Programmed cell death (apoptosis) genes are shaped by immune and sperm competition pressures. These evolutionary forces may contribute to diseases like cancer.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Molecular biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is vital for development, immunity, and preventing cancer.
- Mammalian apoptosis-related genes are under positive selection, particularly at protein interfaces interacting with pathogens and in signaling complexes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary pressures driving positive selection on mammalian apoptosis-related genes.
- To explore the link between these selective pressures and disease, including cancer.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of positive selection acting on mammalian apoptosis-related genes.
- Examination of targeted protein interfaces and signaling complex elements.
- Consideration of immune/defense functions and competitive interactions (spermatogenesis).
Main Results:
- Positive selection primarily targets interfaces involved in pathogen interaction and signaling complexes, driven by immune/defense functions.
- Competitive interactions, including sperm competition and anti-sperm immune responses, also contribute to selection.
- Trade-offs resulting from these selective pressures are implicated in disease susceptibility.
Conclusions:
- Evolutionary selection on apoptosis genes is significantly influenced by immune system interactions and reproductive competition.
- Understanding these evolutionary dynamics is crucial for comprehending the role of apoptosis in health and disease, particularly cancer.
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