Birth, decay, and reconstruction of an ancient TRIMCyp gene fusion in primate genomes.

ABSTRACT: TRIM5 is a host antiviral gene with an evolutionary history of genetic conflict with retroviruses. The TRIMCyp gene encodes a protein fusion of TRIM5 effector domains with the capsid-binding ability of a retrotransposed CyclophilinA (CypA), resulting in novel antiviral specificity against lentiviruses. Previous studies have identified two independent primate TRIMCyp fusions that evolved within the past 6 My. Here, we describe an ancient primate TRIMCyp gene (that we call TRIMCypA3), which evolved in the common ancestor of simian primates 43 Mya. Gene reconstruction shows that CypA3 encoded an intact, likely active, TRIMCyp antiviral gene, which was subject to selective constraints for at least 10 My, followed by pseudogenization or loss in all extant primates. Despite its decayed status, w

SUBMITTER: Malfavon-Borja R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3574956 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature