Expansion of signaling genes for adaptive immune system evolution in early vertebrates.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The adaptive immune system (AIS) of jawed vertebrates is a sophisticated system mediated by numerous genes in specialized cells. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that emergence of the AIS followed the occurrence of two rounds of whole-genome duplication (2R-WGD) in early vertebrates, but little direct evidence linking these two events is available.

Results

We examined the relationship between 2R-WGD and the gain of AIS-related functions by numerous genes. To analyze the evolution of the many genes related to signal transduction in the AIS (defined as AIS genes), we identified groups of genes (defined as AIS subfamilies) that included at least one human AIS gene, its paralogs (if any), and its Drosophila ortholog(s). Genomic mapping revealed that numerous pairs of A

SUBMITTER: Okada K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2391169 | biostudies-literature | 2008 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature