title: Apolipoproteins(a): a puzzling evolutionary story.
abstract: Human apolipoprotein(a), a risk factor for heart disease, has over 80% sequence identity to plasminogen. Plasminogen contains five distinct kringle domains plus a catalytic protease subunit. Human apo(a) consists of multiple copies (the number varies in individuals) of a domain resembling kringle 4, a single copy of a domain resembling kringle 5, and a protease-like domain. The recently cloned hedgehog version of apolipoprotein(a), which contains 31 nearly identical copies of plasminogen kringle 3 and lacks a protease domain, has prompted us to investigate the evolutionary history of the apolipoprotein(a) gene in mammals. Our analysis supports the nonfunctionality of the human apolipoprotein(a) protease domain, and a single (or multiple) duplication of plasminogen gene before mammal radiation, which originated apolipoprotein(a) in mammals.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lawn
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Patthy
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pesole
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saccone
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001054:Apolipoproteins A / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals
chemical_list: D001054:Apolipoproteins A