Dataset Information

Molecular evolution of neuropeptides in the genus Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Neuropeptides comprise the most diverse group of neuronal signaling molecules. They often occur as multiple sequence-related copies within single precursors (the prepropeptides). These multiple sequence-related copies have not arisen by gene duplication, and it is debated whether they are mutually redundant or serve specific functions. The fully sequenced genomes of 12 Drosophila species provide a unique opportunity to study the molecular evolution of neuropeptides. RESULTS: We data-mined the 12 Drosophila genomes for homologs of neuropeptide genes identified in Drosophila melanogaster. We then predicted peptide precursors and the neuropeptidome, and biochemically identified about half of the predicted peptides by direct mass spectrometric profiling of neuroendocrine tissue in four species covering main phylogenetic lines of Drosophila. We found that all species have an identical neuropeptidome and peptide hormone complement. Calculation of amino acid distances showed that ortholog peptide copies are highly sequence-conserved between species, whereas the observed sequence variability between peptide copies within single precursors must have occurred prior to the divergence of the Drosophila species. CONCLUSION: We provide a first genomic and chemical characterization of fruit fly neuropeptides outside D. melanogaster. Our results suggest that neuropeptides including multiple peptide copies are under stabilizing selection, which suggests that multiple peptide copies are functionally important and not dispensable. The last common ancestor of Drosophila obviously had a set of neuropeptides and peptide hormones identical to that of modern fruit flies. This is remarkable, since drosophilid flies have adapted to very different environments.

SUBMITTER: Wegener C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2575521 | biostudies-literature | 2008

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Molecular evolution of neuropeptides in the genus Drosophila.

Wegener Christian C Gorbashov Anton A

Genome biology 20080821 8

<h4>Background</h4>Neuropeptides comprise the most diverse group of neuronal signaling molecules. They often occur as multiple sequence-related copies within single precursors (the prepropeptides). These multiple sequence-related copies have not arisen by gene duplication, and it is debated whether they are mutually redundant or serve specific functions. The fully sequenced genomes of 12 Drosophila species provide a unique opportunity to study the molecular evolution of neuropeptides.<h4>Results ...[more]

PMID: 18717992

Similar Datasets

Project description:Several multigene families have been described that together encode scores of structural cuticular proteins in Drosophila, although the functional significance of this diversity remains to be explored. Here I investigate the evolutionary histories of several multigene families (CPR, Tweedle, CPLCG, and CPF/CPFL) that vary in age, size, and sequence complexity, using sequenced Drosophila genomes and mosquito outgroups. My objective is to describe the rates and mechanisms of 'cuticle-ome' divergence, in order to identify conserved and rapidly evolving elements. I also investigate potential examples of interlocus gene conversion and concerted evolution within these families during Drosophila evolution. The absolute rate of change in gene number (per million years) is an order of magnitude lower for cuticular protein families within Drosophila than it is among Drosophila and the two mosquito taxa, implying that major transitions in the cuticle proteome have occurred at higher taxonomic levels. Several hotspots of intergenic conversion and/or gene turnover were identified, e.g. some gene pairs have independently undergone intergenic conversion within different lineages. Some gene conversion hotspots were characterized by conversion tracts initiating near nucleotide repeats within coding regions, and similar repeats were found within concertedly evolving cuticular protein genes in Anopheles gambiae. Rates of amino-acid substitution were generally severalfold higher along the branch connecting the Sophophora and Drosophila species groups, and 13 genes have Ka/Ks significantly greater than one along this branch, indicating adaptive divergence. Insect cuticular proteins appear to be a source of adaptive evolution within genera and, at higher taxonomic levels, subject to periods of gene-family expansion and contraction followed by quiescence. However, this relative stasis is belied by hotspots of molecular evolution, particularly concerted evolution, during the diversification of Drosophila. The prominent association between interlocus gene conversion and repeats within the coding sequence of interacting genes suggests that the latter promote strand exchange.

Dataset Information

Molecular evolution of neuropeptides in the genus Drosophila.

Publications

Molecular evolution of neuropeptides in the genus Drosophila.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets