title: Selection on coding regions determined Hox7 genes evolution.
abstract: The important role of Hox genes in determining the regionalization of the body plan of the vertebrates makes them invaluable candidates for evolutionary analyses regarding functional and morphological innovation. Gene duplication and gene loss led to a variable number of Hox genes in different vertebrate lineages. The evolutionary forces determining the conservation or loss of Hox genes are poorly understood. In this study, we show that variable selective pressures acted on Hox7 genes in different evolutionary lineages, with episodes of positive selection occurring after gene duplications. Tests for functional divergence in paralogs detected significant differentiation in a region known to modulate HOX7 protein activity. Our results show that both positive and negative selection on coding regions are influencing Hox7 genes evolution.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Univesidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Mario Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fares
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bezemer
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moya
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marín
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020440:Gene Duplication; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000235:genetics*