Evolutionary Dynamics of Matrix Metalloproteases with Collagenolytic Activity in Teleosts

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Genomics
• Molecular biology

Background:

• Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are essential zinc-dependent endopeptidases involved in extracellular matrix remodeling, tissue repair, and immune responses.
• The evolutionary diversification and gene regulation of MMPs in teleosts (bony fishes) are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the evolutionary history of collagenolytic MMP genes in vertebrates, focusing on teleosts.
• To analyze the origin and functional conservation of MMP gene paralogs in teleosts.

Main Methods:

• Comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses to identify MMP gene families.
• Synteny analysis to trace gene origins.
• Protein domain analysis to assess functional motifs.
• Transcriptome analysis in *Sparus aurata* and *Dicentrarchus labrax* to study gene expression patterns.

Main Results:

• Conserved single-copy *mmp2* and *mmp9* genes, and duplicated *mmp11* and *mmp13* paralogs were identified in non-salmonid teleosts.
• *mmp11* paralogs likely originated from the teleost-specific genome duplication (TSGD), while *mmp13* paralogs have a more complex origin.
• Expression profiling revealed similar, stage-specific, or tissue-specific patterns among paralog genes, indicating regulatory sub-functionalization.

Conclusions:

• MMP gene evolution in teleosts is characterized by varied dynamics linked to different whole-genome duplication events.
• Retained MMP paralogs in teleosts likely underwent regulatory sub-functionalization following genome duplication.
• This study provides insights into the evolutionary adaptation of MMPs in teleost diversification.