title: Phylogenetic analysis of fungal heterotrimeric G protein-encoding genes and their expression during dimorphism in Mucor circinelloides.
abstract: In fungi, heterotrimeric G proteins are key regulators of biological processes such as mating, virulence, morphology, among others. Mucor circinelloides is a model organism for many biological processes, and its genome contains the largest known repertoire of genes that encode putative heterotrimeric G protein subunits in the fungal kingdom: twelve Gα (McGpa1-12), three Gβ (McGpb1-3), and three Gγ (McGpg1-3). Phylogenetic analysis of fungal Gα showed that they are divided into four distinct groups as reported previously. Fungal Gβ and Gγ are also divided into four phylogenetic groups, and to our understanding this is the first report of a phylogenetic classification for fungal Gβ and Gγ subunits. Almost all genes that encode putative heterotrimeric G subunits in M. circinelloides are differentially expressed during dimorphic growth, except for McGpg1 (Gγ) that showed very low mRNA levels at all developmental stages. Moreover, several of the subunits are expressed in a similar pattern and at the same level, suggesting that they constitute discrete complexes. For example, McGpb3 (Gβ), and McGpg2 (Gγ), are co-expressed during mycelium growth, and McGpa1, McGpb2, and McGpg2, are co-expressed during yeast development. These findings provide the conceptual framework to study the biological role of these genes during M. circinelloides morphogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, 58038, Morelia, Mich., Mexico.
authors.forename: Marco Iván
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Valle-Maldonado
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Estatal de Salud Pública del Estado de Michoacán, 58279, Morelia, Mich., Mexico.
authors.forename: Irvin Eduardo
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Jácome-Galarza
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, 58038, Morelia, Mich., Mexico.
authors.forename: Alma Laura
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Díaz-Pérez
authors.affiliation: División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, 36000, Guanajuato, Gto., Mexico.
authors.forename: Guadalupe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martínez-Cadena
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, 58038, Morelia, Mich., Mexico.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campos-García
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, 58038, Morelia, Mich., Mexico.
authors.forename: Martha Isela
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Díaz
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, 58038, Morelia, Mich., Mexico.
authors.forename: Homero
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reyes-De la Cruz
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Riveros-Rosas
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ingeniería Agroindustrial, División de Ciencias de la Salud e Ingenierías, Campus Celaya-Salvatierra, Universidad de Guanajuato, 38000, Salvatierra, Gto., Mexico.
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Díaz-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, 58038, Morelia, Mich., Mexico. Electronic address: victor_meza2004@yahoo.com.mx.
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Meza-Carmen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009089:Mucor / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins
keywords: Expression profile; G protein phylogeny; Gene expression; Signal transduction; Zygomycetes