title: Methuselah/Methuselah-like G protein-coupled receptors constitute an ancient metazoan gene family.
abstract: Inconsistent conclusions have been drawn regarding the phylogenetic age of the Methuselah/Methuselah-like (Mth/Mthl) gene family of G protein-coupled receptors, the founding member of which regulates development and lifespan in Drosophila. Here we report the results from a targeted homolog search of 39 holozoan genomes and phylogenetic analysis of the conserved seven transmembrane domain. Our findings reveal that the Mth/Mthl gene family is ancient, has experienced numerous extinction and expansion events during metazoan evolution, and acquired the current definition of the Methuselah ectodomain during its exceptional expansion in arthropods. In addition, our findings identify Mthl1, Mthl5, Mthl14, and Mthl15 as the oldest Mth/Mthl gene family paralogs in Drosophila. Future studies of these genes have the potential to define ancestral functions of the Mth/Mthl gene family.
authors.affiliation: Plant Energy Biology Australian Research Council Center of Excellence, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Mendoza
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, 5047 Gullen Mall, Detroit, MI 48202.
authors.forename: Jeffery W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, 5047 Gullen Mall, Detroit, MI 48202.|Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, 540 East Canfield Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Friedrich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C115381:mth protein, Drosophila