title: Trends in the evolution of the proenkephalin and prodynorphin genes in gnathostomes.
abstract: The opioid/orphanin gene family provides a model system for analyzing the outcomes of genome duplication events. Recent studies on the proenkephalin gene provide additional evidence that the organizational plan for this gene has been conserved throughout the extensive radiation of the gnathostome vertebrates. However, an analysis of the amino acid sequence of proenkephalin from the zebrafish, Danio rerio, suggests that novel forms of this opioid precursor may be evolving in teleosts. Analyses of sarcopterygian prodynorphin sequences revealed a proenkephalin signature in prodynorphin. Current studies on the opioid/orphanin gene family point to the duplication events that shaped this family occurring prior to the radiation of the gnathostomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, CO 80210, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khalap
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bagrosky
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lecaude
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Youson
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Danielson
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Dores
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004745:Enkephalins; D011498:Protein Precursors; C029992:proenkephalin; C033660:preproenkephalin