title: Positively selected genes of the Chinese tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) locomotion system.
abstract: While the recent release of the Chinese tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) genome has made the tree shrew an increasingly viable experimental animal model for biomedical research, further study of the genome may facilitate new insights into the applicability of this model. For example, though the tree shrew has a rapid rate of speed and strong jumping ability, there are limited studies on its locomotion ability. In this study we used the available Chinese tree shrew genome information and compared the evolutionary pattern of 407 locomotion system related orthologs among five mammals (human, rhesus monkey, mouse, rat and dog) and the Chinese tree shrew. Our analyses identified 29 genes with significantly high ω (Ka/Ks ratio) values and 48 amino acid sites in 14 genes showed significant evidence of positive selection in the Chinese tree shrew. Some of these positively selected genes, e.g. HOXA6 (homeobox A6) and AVP (arginine vasopressin), play important roles in muscle contraction or skeletal morphogenesis. These results provide important clues in understanding the genetic bases of locomotor adaptation in the Chinese tree shrew.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China; Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China.
authors.forename: Dan-Dan
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China; Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China; Kunming Primate Research Center, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China. ygyaozh@gmail.com,yaoyg@mail.kiz.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Yong-Gang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D014417:Tupaia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Chinese tree shrew; Locomotion system; Positively selected genes