Origin and diversification of the basic helix-loop-helix gene family in metazoans: insights from comparative genomics.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Molecular and genetic analyses conducted in model organisms such as Drosophila and vertebrates, have provided a wealth of information about how networks of transcription factors control the proper development of these species. Much less is known, however, about the evolutionary origin of these elaborated networks and their large-scale evolution. Here we report the first evolutionary analysis of a whole superfamily of transcription factors, the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins, at the scale of the whole metazoan kingdom.

Results

We identified in silico the putative full complement of bHLH genes in the sequenced genomes of 12 different species representative of the main metazoan lineages, including three non-bilaterian metazoans, the cnidarians Nematostella ve

SUBMITTER: Simionato E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1828162 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature