title: Molecular phylogeny and functional genomics of beta-galactoside alpha2,6-sialyltransferases that explain ubiquitous expression of st6gal1 gene in amniotes.
abstract: Sialyltransferases are key enzymes in the biosynthesis of sialoglycoconjugates that catalyze the transfer of sialic residue from its activated form to an oligosaccharidic acceptor. β-Galactoside α2,6-sialyltransferases ST6Gal I and ST6Gal II are the two unique members of the ST6Gal family described in higher vertebrates. The availability of genome sequences enabled the identification of more distantly related invertebrates' st6gal gene sequences and allowed us to propose a scenario of their evolution. Using a phylogenomic approach, we present further evidence of an accelerated evolution of the st6gal1 genes both in their genomic regulatory sequences and in their coding sequence in reptiles, birds, and mammals known as amniotes, whereas st6gal2 genes conserve an ancestral profile of expression throughout vertebrate evolution.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Génétique Moléculaire Animale, Université de Limoges Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, INRA UMR 1061, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, 87060 Limoges, France.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Petit
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mir
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Petit
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thisse
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Delannoy
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oriol
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thisse
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harduin-Lepers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D012799:Sialyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D000094802:beta-D-Galactoside alpha 2-6-Sialyltransferase
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D012799:Sialyltransferases; C093493:ST6GAL1 protein, human; D000094802:beta-D-Galactoside alpha 2-6-Sialyltransferase; C549032:ST6GAL2 protein, human