Duplication of large genomic regions during the evolution of vertebrate homeobox genes.
The phylogenetic relationships of 21 murine Antp-class (Drosophila mutation Antennapedia-type class) homeobox genes have been analyzed, and several groups of related genes have been identified. The murine Antp-class homeobox genes are localized within four gene clusters. The similar structural organization of the four gene clusters strongly suggests that genes within a group of related Antp-class homeobox genes are derived from duplications of large genomic regions. After the duplication, the gross structures of the homeobox gene clusters have been maintained over a long period of evolutionary time, indicating that the specific organization of genes within a cluster may be of functional importance.
Schughart
K
K
Department of Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511.
Kappen
C
C
Ruddle
F H
FH
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000235:genetics*