Ancient intron insertion sites and palindromic genomic duplication evolutionally shapes an elementally functioning membrane protein family.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In spite of the recent accumulation of genomic data, the evolutionary pathway in the individual genes of present-day living taxa is still elusive for most genes. Among ion channels, inward K+ rectifier (IRK) channels are the fundamental and well-defined protein group. We analyzed the genomic structures of this group and compared them among a phylogenetically wide range with our sequenced Halocynthia roretzi, a tunicate, IRK genomic genes.

Results

A total of 131 IRK genomic genes were analyzed. The phylogenic trees of amino acid sequences revealed a clear diversification of deuterostomic IRKs from protostomic IRKs and suggested that the tunicate IRKs are possibly representatives of the descendants of ancestor forms of three major groups of IRKs in the vertebrate. H

SUBMITTER: Tanaka-Kunishima M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1999503 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature