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Pathogen-driven adaptive evolution of myxovirus resistance (Mx) genes in fishes

Abinash Padhi1

  • 1Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA. abinash74@gmail.com

Biochemical Genetics
|May 7, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Fish myxovirus resistance (Mx) proteins are key to antiviral defense. Adaptive evolution in the GTP effector domain (GED) of Mx proteins in fish suggests a response to viral pathogens.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Immunology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Myxovirus resistance (Mx) proteins are crucial for innate immunity against RNA viruses in vertebrates.
  • Mx proteins are part of the dynamin superfamily and play a vital role in host defense mechanisms.
  • The GTP effector domain (GED) is critical for Mx protein function and is hypothesized to evolve under host-pathogen interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary dynamics of fish Mx proteins, focusing on the role of selection and recombination.
  • To identify specific regions within Mx proteins that have undergone adaptive evolution.
  • To correlate observed evolutionary changes with antiviral functions, particularly in the GTP effector domain (GED).

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of Mx protein sequences from diverse fish species.
  • Selection analyses (e.g., dN/dS ratios) to detect positive and purifying selection across different protein domains.
  • Recombination analysis to assess its impact on Mx protein evolution.

Main Results:

  • The N-terminal GTP-binding domain of fish Mx proteins has been conserved under purifying selection.
  • Specific amino acid residues within the C-terminal GTP effector domain (GED) show evidence of positive selection.
  • Recombination was identified as a significant factor shaping the evolutionary landscape of fish Mx proteins.

Conclusions:

  • Fish Mx proteins exhibit distinct evolutionary patterns between the GTP-binding domain and the GTP effector domain (GED).
  • Adaptive evolution, driven by positive selection in the GED, suggests a co-evolutionary arms race between fish and viral pathogens.
  • These findings highlight the role of adaptive evolution in enhancing antiviral defense mechanisms in fish Mx proteins.

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