Functional Consequences of the Evolution of Matrimony, a Meiosis-Specific Inhibitor of Polo Kinase.

ABSTRACT: Meiosis is a defining characteristic of eukaryotes, believed to have evolved only once, over one billion years ago. While the general progression of meiotic events is conserved across multiple diverse organisms, the specific pathways and proteins involved can be highly divergent, even within species from the same genus. Here we investigate the rapid evolution of Matrimony (Mtrm), a female meiosis-specific regulator of Polo kinase (Polo) in Drosophila. Mtrm physically interacts with Polo and is required to restrict the activity of Polo during meiosis. Despite Mtrm's critical role in meiosis, sequence conservation within the genus Drosophila is poor. To explore the functional significance of this rapid divergence, we expressed Mtrm proteins from 12 different Drosophila species in the Drosoph

SUBMITTER: Bonner AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6340472 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature