Evolution of the Ras-like small GTPases and their regulators.

ABSTRACT: Small GTPases are molecular switches at the hub of many signaling pathways and the expansion of this protein family is interwoven with the origin of unique eukaryotic cell features. We have previously reported on the evolution of CDC25 Homology Domain containing proteins, which act as guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) for Ras-like proteins. We now report on the evolution of both the Ras-like small GTPases as well as the GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) for Ras-like small GTPases. We performed an in depth phylogenetic analysis in 64 genomes of diverse eukaryotic species. These analyses revealed that multiple ancestral Ras-like GTPases and GAPs were already present in the Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor (LECA), compatible with the presence of RasGEFs in LECA . Furthermore, we endea

SUBMITTER: van Dam TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3116619 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature