title: A complex distribution of elongation family GTPases EF1A and EFL in basal alveolate lineages.
abstract: Translation elongation factor-1 alpha (EF1A) and the related GTPase EF-like (EFL) are two proteins with a complex mutually exclusive distribution across the tree of eukaryotes. Recent surveys revealed that the distribution of the two GTPases in even closely related taxa is frequently at odds with their phylogenetic relationships. Here, we investigate the distribution of EF1A and EFL in the alveolate supergroup. Alveolates comprise three major lineages: ciliates and apicomplexans encode EF1A, whereas dinoflagellates encode EFL. We searched transcriptome databases for seven early-diverging alveolate taxa that do not belong to any of these groups: colpodellids, chromerids, and colponemids. Current data suggest all seven are expected to encode EF1A, but we find three genera encode EFL: Colpodella, Voromonas, and the photosynthetic Chromera. Comparing this distribution with the phylogeny of alveolates suggests that EF1A and EFL evolution in alveolates cannot be explained by a simple horizontal gene transfer event or lineage sorting.
authors.affiliation: Belozersky Institute for Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Kirill V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Mikhailov
authors.affiliation: Botany Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Janouškovec
authors.affiliation: Botany Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Sciences, Borok, Yaroslavl Province, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Denis V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Tikhonenkov
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gene Pool of Plants and Animals, Uzbek Academy of Sciences, Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan.
authors.forename: Gulnara S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Mirzaeva
authors.affiliation: Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Andrei Yu
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Diakin
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Timur G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Simdyanov
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Sciences, Borok, Yaroslavl Province, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Alexander P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mylnikov
authors.affiliation: Botany Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada pkeeling@mail.ubc.ca aleshin@genebee.msu.su.
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Keeling
authors.affiliation: Belozersky Institute for Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation National Research Institute of Physiology, Biochemistry, and Nutrition of Farm Animals, Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Borovsk, Kaluga Region, Russian Federation pkeeling@mail.ubc.ca aleshin@genebee.msu.su.
authors.forename: Vladimir V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Aleoshin
mesh_terms: D056893:Alveolata / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000235:genetics*; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases
keywords: Alveolata; Chromerids; Colpodellids; Colponemids; EF1A; EFL; Elongation Factors