title: Heterotypy in the N-terminal region of growth/differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) mature protein during teleost evolution.
abstract: Heterotypy is now recognized as a generative force in the formation of new proteins through modification of existing proteins. We report that heterotypy in the N-terminal region of the mature growth/differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) protein occurred during evolution of teleosts. N-terminal length variation of GDF5 was found among teleost interfamilies and interorders but not within teleost families or among tetrapods. We further show that increase of proline and glutamine to the N-terminal region of mature GDF5 occurred in Eurypterygii, the higher lineage of teleosts. Because the basic amino acids, believed to control diffusion, are conserved in this region across all species examined, we suggest that the N-terminal elongation of the mature GDF5 protein during evolution has altered the protein diffusion in Eurypterygii, leading to high concentrations of the protein in the joint of the pharyngeal skeleton, the location of cartilage formation during development.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimura
authors.forename: Yohey
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terai
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miya
authors.forename: Mutsumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okada
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D023681:Cichlids / Q000235:genetics*; D055428:Growth Differentiation Factor 5; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D055428:Growth Differentiation Factor 5; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta