Dntf-2r, a young Drosophila retroposed gene with specific male expression under positive Darwinian selection.
A direct approach to investigating new gene origination is to examine recently evolved genes. We report a new gene in the Drosophila melanogaster subgroup, Drosophila nuclear transport factor-2-related (Dntf-2r). Its sequence features and phylogenetic distribution indicate that Dntf-2r is a retroposed functional gene and originated in the common ancestor of D. melanogaster, D. simulans, D. sechellia, and D. mauritiana, within the past 3-12 million years (MY). Dntf-2r evolved more rapidly than the parental gene, under positive Darwinian selection as revealed by the McDonald-Kreitman test and other evolutionary analyses. Comparative expression analysis shows that Dntf-2r is male specific whereas the parental gene, Dntf-2, is widely expressed in D. melanogaster. In agreement with its new expression pattern, the Dntf-2r putative promoter sequence is similar to the late testis promoter of beta2-tubulin. We discuss the possibility that the action of positive selection in Dntf-2r is related to its putative male-specific functions.
Betrán
Esther
E
Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
Long
Manyuan
M
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D029543:Nucleocytoplasmic Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D018626:Retroelements / Q000235:genetics; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D017931:DNA Primers; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C503609:Ntf-2 protein, Drosophila; D029543:Nucleocytoplasmic Transport Proteins; D018626:Retroelements