Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Molecular evolution of ruminant lysozymes

D M Irwin1

  • 1Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

EXS
|January 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

Stomach lysozyme evolved from an antibacterial enzyme, linking molecular and organismal evolution. Gene duplication and positive selection drove its adaptation in ruminants, with some genes reverting to ancestral roles.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Development of a 19-plex short tandem repeat typing system for individual identification and parentage testing of horses (Equus caballus).

Animal genetics·2021
Same author

A novel 13-plex STR typing system for individual identification and parentage testing of donkeys (Equus asinus).

Equine veterinary journal·2019
Same author

NOVEL GENETIC FINDINGS IN A CHINESE FAMILY WITH EARLY-ONSET FEMALE-RELATED TYPE 2 DIABETES.

Acta endocrinologica (Bucharest, Romania : 2005)·2019
Same author

Incretin hormones and the expanding families of glucagon-like sequences and their receptors.

Diabetes, obesity & metabolism·2011
Same author

The fish endocrine pancreas: review, new data, and future research directions in ontogeny and phylogeny.

General and comparative endocrinology·2006
Same author

Evolution of new hormone function: loss and gain of a receptor.

The Journal of heredity·2005

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Molecular Evolution
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Lysozymes, initially antibacterial enzymes, have been repurposed for digestion in vertebrate stomachs at least three times.
  • This evolutionary recruitment involved significant molecular adaptations beyond adapting to the stomach environment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular evolution of stomach lysozyme in ruminant artiodactyls.
  • To understand the genetic mechanisms, including gene duplication and selection, driving the adaptation of lysozyme to a digestive function.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative genomic analysis of lysozyme c gene families in ruminants.
  • Phylogenetic analysis to trace evolutionary history.
  • Examination of selection pressures (positive and purifying) on lysozyme genes.

Main Results:

  • Lysozyme c genes duplicated in ruminants, forming a family of approximately ten genes.
  • These duplications facilitated functional specialization and increased gene expression.
  • Evidence of episodic evolution, including periods of rapid adaptive evolution under positive selection followed by purifying selection.
  • Recombination between gene family members may have contributed to adaptation.
  • One gene family member showed a reversion to an ancestral function while retaining ancestral hallmarks.

Conclusions:

  • The evolution of stomach lysozyme exemplifies the link between molecular and organismal evolution.
  • Gene duplication, adaptive selection, and recombination are key mechanisms in enzyme recruitment and adaptation.
  • Evolutionary pathways are not always unidirectional, as demonstrated by the reversion of some stomach lysozyme genes.

Related Experiment Videos