Origin and evolution of glutamyl-prolyl tRNA synthetase WHEP domains reveal evolutionary relationships within Holozoa

Repeated domains in proteins that have undergone duplication or loss, and sequence divergence, are especially informative about phylogenetic relationships. We have exploited divergent repeats of the highly structured, 50-amino acid WHEP domains that join the catalytic subunits of bifunctional glutamyl-prolyl tRNA synthetase (EPRS) as a sequence-informed repeat (SIR) to trace the origin and evolution of EPRS in holozoa. EPRS is the only fused tRNA synthetase, with two distinct aminoacylation activities, and a non-canonical translation regulatory function mediated by the WHEP domains in the linker. Investigating the duplications, deletions and divergence of WHEP domains, we traced the bifunctional EPRS to choanozoans and identified the fusion event leading to its origin at the divergence of ichthyosporea and emergence of filozoa nearly a billion years ago. Distribution of WHEP domains from a single species in two or more distinct clades suggested common descent, allowing the identification of linking organisms. The discrete assortment of choanoflagellate WHEP domains with choanozoan domains as well as with those in metazoans supported the phylogenetic position of choanoflagellates as the closest sister group to metazoans. Analysis of clustering and assortment of WHEP domains provided unexpected insights into phylogenetic relationships amongst holozoan taxa. Furthermore, observed gaps in the transition between WHEP domain groupings in distant taxa allowed the prediction of undiscovered or extinct evolutionary intermediates. Analysis based on SIR domains can provide a phylogenetic counterpart to palaentological approaches of discovering "missing links" in the tree of life.