Family expansion and gene rearrangements contributed to the functional specialization of PRDM genes in vertebrates.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Progressive diversification of paralogs after gene expansion is essential to increase their functional specialization. However, mode and tempo of this divergence remain mostly unclear. Here we report the comparative analysis of PRDM genes, a family of putative transcriptional regulators involved in human tumorigenesis.

Results

Our analysis assessed that the PRDM genes originated in metazoans, expanded in vertebrates and further duplicated in primates. We experimentally showed that fast-evolving paralogs are poorly expressed, and that the most recent duplicates, such as primate-specific PRDM7, acquire tissue-specificity. PRDM7 underwent major structural rearrangements that decreased the number of encoded Zn-Fingers and modified gene splicing. Through internal dupli

SUBMITTER: Fumasoni I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2082429 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature