GPR50 is the mammalian ortholog of Mel1c: evidence of rapid evolution in mammals.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The melatonin receptor subfamily contains three members Mel1a, Mel1b and Mel1c, found in all vertebrates except for Mel1c which is found only in fish, Xenopus species and the chicken. Another receptor, the melatonin related receptor known as GPR50, found exclusively in mammals and later identified as a member of the melatonin receptor subfamily because of its identity to the three melatonin receptors despite its absence of affinity for melatonin. The aim of this study was to describe the evolutionary relationships between GPR50 and the three other members of the melatonin receptor subfamily.

Results

Using an in silico approach, we demonstrated that GPR50 is the ortholog of the high affinity Mel1c receptor. It was necessary to also study the synteny of this gene to

SUBMITTER: Dufourny L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2323367 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature