PUBLICATION

Evolutionary and developmental analysis reveals KANK genes were co-opted for vertebrate vascular development

Authors
Hensley, M.R., Cui, Z., Chua, R.F., Simpson, S., Shammas, N.L., Yang, J.Y., Leung, Y.F., Zhang, G.
ID
ZDB-PUB-160614-11
Date
2016
Source
Scientific Reports   6: 27816 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Hensley, Monica, Leung, Yuk Fai, Zhang, GuangJun
Keywords
Evolutionary developmental biology, Phylogenetics
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Blood Vessels/growth & development
  • Blood Vessels/metabolism
  • Chromosomes/genetics
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism
  • Evolution, Molecular*
  • Gene Duplication
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Phylogeny
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins/classification
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins/genetics*
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins/metabolism
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
  • Zebrafish/growth & development
  • Zebrafish Proteins/classification
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
PubMed
27292017 Full text @ Sci. Rep.
Abstract
Gene co-option, usually after gene duplication, in the evolution of development is found to contribute to vertebrate morphological innovations, including the endothelium-based vascular system. Recently, a zebrafish kank gene was found expressed in the vascular vessel primordium, suggesting KANK genes are a component of the developmental tool kit for the vertebrate vascular system. However, how the KANK gene family is involved in vascular vessel development during evolution remains largely unknown. First, we analyzed the molecular evolution of the KANK genes in metazoan, and found that KANK1, KANK2, KANK3 and KANK4 emerged in the lineage of vertebrate, consistent with the two rounds of vertebrate whole-genome duplications (WGD). Moreover, KANK genes were further duplicated in teleosts through the bony-fish specific WGD, while only kank1 and kank4 duplicates were retained in some of the examined fish species. We also found all zebrafish kank genes, except kank1b, are primarily expressed during embryonic vascular development. Compared to invertebrate KANK gene expression in the central nervous system, the vascular expression of zebrafish kank genes suggested KANK genes were co-opted for vertebrate vascular development. Given the cellular roles of KANK genes, our results suggest that this co-option may facilitate the evolutionary origin of vertebrate vascular vessels.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping