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Intron-loss evolution of hatching enzyme genes in Teleostei.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Hatching enzyme, belonging to the astacin metallo-protease family, digests egg envelope at embryo hatching. Orthologous genes of the enzyme are found in all vertebrate genomes. Recently, we found that exon-intron structures of the genes were conserved among tetrapods, while the genes of teleosts frequently lost their introns. Occurrence of such intron losses in teleostean hatching enzyme genes is an uncommon evolutionary event, as most eukaryotic genes are generally known to be interrupted by introns and the intron insertion sites are conserved from species to species. Here, we report on extensive studies of the exon-intron structures of teleostean hatching enzyme genes for insight into how and why introns were lost during evolution. RESULTS: We investigated the evolutionary pathway of intron-losses in hatching enzyme genes of 27 species of Teleostei. Hatching enzyme genes of basal teleosts are of only one type, which conserves the 9-exon-8-intron structure of an assumed ancestor. On the other hand, otocephalans and euteleosts possess two types of hatching enzyme genes, suggesting a gene duplication event in the common ancestor of otocephalans and euteleosts. The duplicated genes were classified into two clades, clades I and II, based on phylogenetic analysis. In otocephalans and euteleosts, clade I genes developed a phylogeny-specific structure, such as an 8-exon-7-intron, 5-exon-4-intron, 4-exon-3-intron or intron-less structure. In contrast to the clade I genes, the structures of clade II genes were relatively stable in their configuration, and were similar to that of the ancestral genes. Expression analyses revealed that hatching enzyme genes were high-expression genes, when compared to that of housekeeping genes. When expression levels were compared between clade I and II genes, clade I genes tends to be expressed more highly than clade II genes. CONCLUSIONS: Hatching enzyme genes evolved to lose their introns, and the intron-loss events occurred at the specific points of teleostean phylogeny. We propose that the high-expression hatching enzyme genes frequently lost their introns during the evolution of teleosts, while the low-expression genes maintained the exon-intron structure of the ancestral gene.

SUBMITTER: Kawaguchi M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2939575 | biostudies-literature | 2010

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Intron-loss evolution of hatching enzyme genes in Teleostei.

Kawaguchi Mari M Hiroi Junya J Miya Masaki M Nishida Mutsumi M Iuchi Ichiro I Yasumasu Shigeki S

BMC evolutionary biology 20100827

<h4>Background</h4>Hatching enzyme, belonging to the astacin metallo-protease family, digests egg envelope at embryo hatching. Orthologous genes of the enzyme are found in all vertebrate genomes. Recently, we found that exon-intron structures of the genes were conserved among tetrapods, while the genes of teleosts frequently lost their introns. Occurrence of such intron losses in teleostean hatching enzyme genes is an uncommon evolutionary event, as most eukaryotic genes are generally known to b ...[more]

PMID: 20796321

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Project description:BackgroundDuplication and subsequent neofunctionalization of the teleostean hatching enzyme gene occurred in the common ancestor of Euteleostei and Otocephala, producing two genes belonging to different phylogenetic clades (clade I and II). In euteleosts, the clade I enzyme inherited the activity of the ancestral enzyme of swelling the egg envelope by cleavage of the N-terminal region of egg envelope proteins. The clade II enzyme gained two specific cleavage sites, N-ZPd and mid-ZPd but lost the ancestral activity. Thus, euteleostean clade II enzymes assumed a new function; solubilization of the egg envelope by the cooperative action with clade I enzyme. However, in Otocephala, the clade II gene was lost during evolution. Consequently, in a late group of Otocephala, only the clade I enzyme is present to swell the egg envelope. We evaluated the egg envelope digestion properties of clade I and II enzymes in Gonorynchiformes, an early diverging group of Otocephala, using milkfish, and compared their digestion with those of other fishes. Finally, we propose a hypothesis of the neofunctionalization process.ResultsThe milkfish clade II enzyme cleaved N-ZPd but not mid-ZPd, and did not cause solubilization of the egg envelope. We conclude that neofunctionalization is incomplete in the otocephalan clade II enzymes. Comparison of clade I and clade II enzyme characteristics implies that the specificity of the clade II enzymes gradually changed during evolution after the duplication event, and that a change in substrate was required for the addition of the mid-ZPd site and loss of activity at the N-terminal region.ConclusionsWe infer the process of neofunctionalization of the clade II enzyme after duplication of the gene. The ancestral clade II gene gained N-ZPd cleavage activity in the common ancestral lineage of the Euteleostei and Otocephala. Subsequently, acquisition of cleavage activity at the mid-ZPd site and loss of cleavage activity in the N-terminal region occurred during the evolution of Euteleostei, but not of Otocephala. The clade II enzyme provides an example of the development of a neofunctional gene for which the substrate, the egg envelope protein, has adapted to a gradual change in the specificity of the corresponding enzyme.

Project description:BackgroundHatching is identified as one of the most important events in the reproduction of oviparous vertebrates. The genes for hatching enzymes, which are vital in the hatching process, are conserved among vertebrates. However, especially in teleost, it is difficult to trace their molecular evolution in detail due to the presence of other C6astacins, which are the subfamily to which the genes for hatching enzymes belong and are highly diverged. In particular, the hatching enzyme genes are diversified with frequent genome translocations due to retrocopy.ResultsIn this study, we took advantage of the rapid expansion of whole-genome data in recent years to examine the molecular evolutionary process of these genes in vertebrates. The phylogenetic analysis and the genomic synteny analysis revealed C6astacin genes other than the hatching enzyme genes, which was previously considered to be retained only in teleosts, was also retained in the genomes of basal ray-finned fishes, coelacanths, and cartilaginous fishes. These results suggest that the common ancestor of these genes can be traced back to at least the common ancestor of the Gnathostomata. Moreover, we also found that many of the C6astacin genes underwent multiple gene duplications during vertebrate evolution, and the results of gene expression analysis in frogs implied that genes derived from hatching enzyme genes underwent neo-functionalization.ConclusionsIn this study, we describe in detail the molecular evolution of the C6astacin gene in vertebrates, which has not been summarized previously. The results revealed the presence of the previously unknown C6astacin gene in the basal-lineage of jawed vertebrates and large-scale gene duplication of hatching enzyme genes in amphibians. The comprehensive investigation reported in this study will be an important basis for studying the molecular evolution of the vertebrate C6astacin genes, hatching enzyme, and its paralogous genes and for identifying these genes without the need for gene expression and functional analysis.

Dataset Information

Intron-loss evolution of hatching enzyme genes in Teleostei.

Publications

Intron-loss evolution of hatching enzyme genes in Teleostei.

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