Role of accelerated segment switch in exons to alter targeting (ASSET) in the molecular evolution of snake venom proteins.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Snake venom toxins evolve more rapidly than other proteins through accelerated changes in the protein coding regions. Previously we have shown that accelerated segment switch in exons to alter targeting (ASSET) might play an important role in its functional evolution of viperid three-finger toxins. In this phenomenon, short sequences in exons are radically changed to unrelated sequences and hence affect the folding and functional properties of the toxins.

Results

Here we analyzed other snake venom protein families to elucidate the role of ASSET in their functional evolution. ASSET appears to be involved in the functional evolution of three-finger toxins to a greater extent than in several other venom protein families. ASSET leads to replacement of some of the crit

SUBMITTER: Doley R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2711939 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature