Generation of divergent uroplakin tetraspanins and their partners during vertebrate evolution: identification of novel uroplakins.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The recent availability of sequenced genomes from a broad array of chordates (cephalochordates, urochordates and vertebrates) has allowed us to systematically analyze the evolution of uroplakins: tetraspanins (UPK1a and UPK1b families) and their respective partner proteins (UPK2 and UPK3 families).

Results

We report here: (1) the origin of uroplakins in the common ancestor of vertebrates, (2) the appearance of several residues that have statistically significantly positive dN/dS ratios in the duplicated paralogs of uroplakin genes, and (3) the existence of strong coevolutionary relationships between UPK1a/1b tetraspanins and their respective UPK2/UPK3-related partner proteins. Moreover, we report the existence of three new UPK2/3 family members we named UPK2b, 3c

SUBMITTER: Desalle R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3922775 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature