title: A survey of conservation of sea spider and Drosophila Hox protein activities.
abstract: Hox proteins have well-established functions in development and evolution, controlling the final morphology of bilaterian animals. The common phylogenetic origin of Hox proteins and the associated evolutionary diversification of protein sequences provide a unique framework to explore the relationship between changes in protein sequence and function. In this study, we aimed at questioning how sequence variation within arthropod Hox proteins influences function. This was achieved by exploring the functional impact of sequence conservation/divergence of the Hox genes, labial, Sex comb reduced, Deformed, Ultrabithorax and abdominalA from two distant arthropods, the sea spider and the well-studied Drosophila. Results highlight a correlation between sequence conservation within the homeodomain and the degree of functional conservation, and identify a novel functional domain in the Labial protein.
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IBDM, UMR 7288, Campus de Luminy, Marseille, cedex 09 13288, France; Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, 46, rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saadaoui
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IBDM, UMR 7288, Campus de Luminy, Marseille, cedex 09 13288, France; IGBMC, INSERM U964, CNRS UMR 7104, Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch, France.
authors.forename: Isma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Litim-Mecheri
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IBDM, UMR 7288, Campus de Luminy, Marseille, cedex 09 13288, France.
authors.forename: Meiggie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Macchi
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IBDM, UMR 7288, Campus de Luminy, Marseille, cedex 09 13288, France.
authors.forename: Yacine
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Graba
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IBDM, UMR 7288, Campus de Luminy, Marseille, cedex 09 13288, France.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maurel-Zaffran
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013112:Spiders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins
keywords: Development; Drosophila; Hox; Pycnogonid