Birth of two chimeric genes in the Hominidae lineage.
How genes with newly characterized functions originate remains a fundamental question. PMCHL1 and PMCHL2, two chimeric genes derived from the melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) gene, offer an opportunity to examine such an issue in the human lineage. Detailed structural, expression, and phylogenetic analysis showed that the PMCHL1 gene was created near 25 million years ago (Ma) by a complex mechanism of exon shuffling through retrotransposition of an antisense MCH messenger RNA coupled to de novo creation of splice sites. PMCHL2 arose 5 to 10 Ma by an event of duplication involving a large chromosomal region encompassing the PMCHL1 locus. The RNA expression patterns of those chimeric genes suggest that they have been submitted to strong regulatory constraints during primate evolution.
Courseaux
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Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, UMR CNRS 6097, 660 route des Lucioles Sophia Antipolis 06560 Valbonne, France.
Nahon
J L
JL
D000818:Animals; D002895:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5 / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005091:Exons; D020440:Gene Duplication; D015870:Gene Expression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D000882:Haplorhini / Q000235:genetics; D015186:Hominidae / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones / Q000235:genetics*; D007438:Introns; D008543:Melanins / Q000235:genetics*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010802:Phylogeny; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000235:genetics*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D012326:RNA Splicing; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D018626:Retroelements
D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones; D008543:Melanins; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D011498:Protein Precursors; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D018626:Retroelements; C059991:melanin-concentrating hormone precursors; C019463:melanin-concentrating hormone