The human and murine protocadherin-beta one-exon gene families show high evolutionary conservation, despite the difference in gene number.
Extensive cDNA analysis demonstrated that all human and mouse protocadherin-beta genes are one-exon genes. The protein sequences of these genes are highly conserved, especially the three most membrane-proximal extracellular domains. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that this unique gene family evolved by duplication of one single protocadherin-beta gene to 15 copies. The final difference in the number of protocadherin-beta genes in man (#19) and mouse (#22) is probably caused by duplications later in evolution. The complex relationship between human and mouse genes and the lack of pseudogenes in the mouse protocadherin-beta gene cluster suggest a species-specific evolutionary pressure for maintenance of numerous protocadherin-beta genes.
Vanhalst
K
K
Molecular Cell Biology Unit, Department of Molecular Biology, Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium.
Kools
P
P
Vanden Eynde
E
E
van Roy
F
F
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics*; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005091:Exons; D018628:Gene Dosage; D020440:Gene Duplication; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment
D015820:Cadherins; D011498:Protein Precursors