PUBLICATION

Loss of neurturin in frog — Comparative genomics study of GDNF family ligand-receptor pairs

Authors
Hätinen, T., Holm, L., and Airaksinen, M.S.
ID
ZDB-PUB-110606-1
Date
2007
Source
Molecular and cellular neurosciences   34(2): 155-167 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
amphioxus, artemin, gas1, GFR-superfamily, GRAL, neurotrophic factor, parasympathetic nervous system, phylogeny, ret, sea urchin
MeSH Terms
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Anura
  • Genomics*
  • Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors/physiology*
  • Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factors/metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neurturin/metabolism*
  • Phylogeny
  • Sequence Alignment
PubMed
17157029 Full text @ Mol. Cell Neurosci.
Abstract
Four different GDNF family ligand (GFL)-receptor (GFRalpha) binding pairs exist in mammals, and they all signal via the RET receptor tyrosine kinase. However, the evolution of these molecules is poorly understood. We identified orthologs of all four GFRalpha receptors and GRAL (GDNF Receptor Alpha-Like) in all vertebrate classes, and a predicted GFR-like protein in several invertebrates. In addition, Gas1 (growth arrest-specific 1), a distant member of the GFR-superfamily, is present in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Analysis of exon structures suggests a common origin of GFR-superfamily proteins and early divergence of Gas1 from the common ancestor. Bony fishes have orthologs of all four mammalian GFLs, consistent with genome duplications in early vertebrates. Surprisingly, the clawed frog and chicken have only three GFLs: synteny analysis indicates loss of neurturin in frog and of persephin in chicken. Evolutionary trace analysis and protein structure homology modeling points at GDNF as the endogenous ligand of frog GFRalpha2.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping