title: Adaptive evolution of G-protein coupled receptor genes.
abstract: The phylogeny and patterns of nucleotide substitutions in the visual pigment genes, adrenergic receptor genes, muscarinic receptor genes, and in the human mas oncogene were studied by comparing their DNA sequences. The evolutionary tree obtained shows that the visual pigment genes and mas oncogene form one cluster and that the receptor genes form another. In the evolution of rhodopsin genes, synonymous substitutions outnumber nonsynonymous substitutions. This is consistent with the neutral theory of molecular evolution. However, the early evolutionary stages of alpha- and beta-adrenergic and muscarinic receptors are notable for significantly more nonsynonymous substitutions than synonymous substitutions, suggesting the acquisition of novel functional adaptations. Variable rates of nonsynonymous changes in different domains of these proteins reveal DNA segments that might have been important in their functional adaptations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Ethology and Evolution, University of Illinois, Champaign 61820.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Isenberg
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids; D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D005810:Multigene Family; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D051381:Rats; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000235:genetics*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000235:genetics*; D012168:Retinal Pigments / Q000235:genetics*; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000235:genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013552:Swine; D014422:Turkeys
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D012168:Retinal Pigments; D004247:DNA; D012243:Rhodopsin; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins