Dynamic insertion-deletion of introns in deuterostome EF-1 alpha genes

Citation
H. Wada et al., Dynamic insertion-deletion of introns in deuterostome EF-1 alpha genes, J MOL EVOL, 54(1), 2002, pp. 118-128
Citations number
26
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Biology,"Experimental Biology
Journal title
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EVOLUTION
ISSN journal
0022-2844 → ACNP
Volume
54
Issue
1
Year of publication
2002
Pages
118 - 128
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-2844(200201)54:1<118:DIOIID>2.0.ZU;2-4
Abstract
To test the validity of intron-exon structure as a phylogenetic marker, the intron-exon structure of EF-1 alpha genes was investigated for starfish, a cornworms. ascidians. larvaceans, and amphioxus and compared with that of v ertebrates. Of the 11 distinct intron insertion sites found within the codi ng regions of the deuterostome EF-lat genes, 7 are shared by several taxa, while the remainder are unique to certain taxa. Examination of the shared i ntrons of the deuterostome EF-1 alpha gene revealed that independent intron loss or intron insertion must have occurred in separate lineages of the de uterostome taxa. Maximum parsimony analysis of the intron-exon data matrix recovered five parsimonious trees (consistency index = 0.867). From this re sult, we concluded that the intron-exon structure of deuterostome EF-1 alph a has evolved more dynamically than previously thought, rendering it unsuit able as a phylogenetic marker. We also reconstructed an evolutionary histor y of intron insertion-deletion events on the deuterostome phylogeny, based on several molecular phylogenetic studies. These analyses revealed that the deuterostome EF-1 alpha gene has lost individual introns more frequently t han all introns simultaneously.