Concomitant duplications of opioid peptide and receptor genes before the origin of jawed vertebrates.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The opioid system is involved in reward and pain mechanisms and consists in mammals of four receptors and several peptides. The peptides are derived from four prepropeptide genes, PENK, PDYN, PNOC and POMC, encoding enkephalins, dynorphins, orphanin/nociceptin and beta-endorphin, respectively. Previously we have described how two rounds of genome doubling (2R) before the origin of jawed vertebrates formed the receptor family.

Methodology/principal findings

Opioid peptide gene family members were investigated using a combination of sequence-based phylogeny and chromosomal locations of the peptide genes in various vertebrates. Several adjacent gene families were investigated similarly. The results show that the ancestral peptide gene gave rise to two additional copi

SUBMITTER: Sundstrom G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2865548 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature