Two frequenins in Drosophila: unveiling the evolutionary history of an unusual neuronal calcium sensor (NCS) duplication.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Drosophila frequenin (Frq), the homolog of the mammalian neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1), is a high affinity calcium-binding protein with ubiquitous expression in the nervous system. This protein has an important role in the regulation of neurotransmitter release per synapse, axonal growth and bouton formation. In D. melanogaster, frequenin is encoded by two genes (frq1 and frq2), a very unexpected feature in the Frq/NCS-1 subfamily. These genes are located in tandem in the same genomic region, and their products are 95% identical in their amino acid sequence, clearly indicating their recent origin by gene duplication. Here, we have investigated the factors involved in this unusual feature by examining the molecular evolution of the two frq genes in Drosophila and the

SUBMITTER: Sanchez-Gracia A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2837045 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature