Exploring metazoan evolution through dynamic and holistic changes in protein families and domains

Wang, Zhengyuan and Zarlenga, Dante S. and Martin, John and Abubucker, Sahar and Mitreva, Makedonka (2012) Exploring metazoan evolution through dynamic and holistic changes in protein families and domains. BMC Evolutionary Biology. pp. 2-17.

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Abstract

Background: Proteins convey the majority of biochemical and cellular activities in organisms. Over the course of evolution, proteins undergo normal sequence mutations as well as large scale mutations involving domain
duplication and/or domain shuffling. These events result in the generation of new proteins and protein families. Processes that affect proteome evolution drive species diversity and adaptation. Herein, change over the course of
metazoan evolution, as defined by birth/death and duplication/deletion events within protein families and domains, was examined using the proteomes of 9 metazoan and two outgroup species.
Results: In studying members of the three major metazoan groups, the vertebrates, arthropods, and nematodes, we found that the number of protein families increased at the majority of lineages over the course of metazoan
evolution where the magnitude of these increases was greatest at the lineages leading to mammals. In contrast, the number of protein domains decreased at most lineages and at all terminal lineages. This resulted in a weak
correlation between protein family birth and domain birth; however, the correlation between domain birth and domain member duplication was quite strong. These data suggest that domain birth and protein family birth occur
via different mechanisms, and that domain shuffling plays a role in the formation of protein families. The ratio of protein family birth to protein domain birth (domain shuffling index) suggests that shuffling had a more demonstrable effect on protein families in nematodes and arthropods than in vertebrates. Through the contrast of high and low domain shuffling indices at the lineages of Trichinella spiralis and Gallus gallus, we propose a link between protein redundancy and evolutionary changes controlled by domain shuffling; however, the speed of adaptation among the different lineages was relatively invariant. Evaluating the functions of protein families that
appeared or disappeared at the last common ancestors (LCAs) of the three metazoan clades supports a correlation with organism adaptation. Furthermore, bursts of new protein families and domains in the LCAs of metazoans and vertebrates are consistent with whole genome duplications.
Conclusion: Metazoan speciation and adaptation were explored by birth/death and duplication/deletion events among protein families and domains. Our results provide insights into protein evolution and its bearing on metazoan evolution.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Proteins, Domains, Evolution, Metazoa, Vertebrates, Arthropods, Nematodes
Subjects: Medical and Health Sciences > Other medical sciences
Divisions: Faculty of Medical Science
Depositing User: Marija Kalejska
Date Deposited: 03 Dec 2012 11:48
Last Modified: 03 Dec 2012 11:48
URI: https://eprints.ugd.edu.mk/id/eprint/2884

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