Repeated evolution of identical domain architecture in metazoan netrin domain-containing proteins.

ABSTRACT: The majority of proteins in eukaryotes are composed of multiple domains, and the number and order of these domains is an important determinant of protein function. Although multidomain proteins with a particular domain architecture were initially considered to have a common evolutionary origin, recent comparative studies of protein families or whole genomes have reported that a minority of multidomain proteins could have appeared multiple times independently. Here, we test this scenario in detail for the signaling molecules netrin and secreted frizzled-related proteins (sFRPs), two groups of netrin domain-containing proteins with essential roles in animal development. Our primary phylogenetic analyses suggest that the particular domain architectures of each of these proteins were present i

SUBMITTER: Leclere L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3516229 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature