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Extreme differences in charge changes during protein evolution
J A Leunissen1, H W van den Hooven, W W de Jong
1Department of Biochemistry, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Journal of Molecular Evolution
|July 1, 1990
Summary
Protein evolution shows varied charge changes. Some proteins avoid charge alterations, while others, like phospholipase A2, undergo selection for charge changes, impacting protein evolution.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Evolutionary Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The distribution of charged amino acid residues is crucial for protein structure and function.
- Understanding evolutionary pressures on protein charge is key to deciphering protein adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary patterns of charged amino acid residues in proteins.
- To compare observed charge changes with those predicted by random mutation models.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of inferred charge changes across 43 protein families.
- Comparison of evolutionary charge changes against predictions from random base substitutions.
Main Results:
- Proteins like crystallins and histones exhibit strong avoidance of charge changes.
- Proteins such as phospholipase A2 and ferredoxin show a higher-than-expected rate of charged replacements, indicating positive selection.
- Biased codon usage generally reduces charged amino acid replacements, while mitochondrial codes further decrease charge change probability.
Conclusions:
- Selective forces in protein evolution act differently on charged residues based on protein function and structure.
- Charge is a significant target for evolutionary selection, with varying intensity across different protein families.
- Codon usage bias and genetic code variations influence the rate of charge evolution in proteins.