Evolution and origin of merlin, the product of the Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) tumor-suppressor gene.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Merlin, the product of the Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) tumor suppressor gene, belongs to the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) subgroup of the protein 4.1 superfamily, which links cell surface glycoproteins to the actin cytoskeleton. While merlin's functional activity has been examined in mammalian and Drosophila models, little is understood about its evolution, diversity, and overall distribution among different taxa.

Results

By combining bioinformatic and phylogenetic approaches, we demonstrate that merlin homologs are present across a wide range of metazoan lineages. While the phylogenetic tree shows a monophyletic origin of the ERM family, the origin of the merlin proteins is robustly separated from that of the ERM proteins. The derivation of merlin is thought to

SUBMITTER: Golovnina K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1315344 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature