RNA editing and alternative splicing of the insect nAChR subunit alpha6 transcript: evolutionary conservation, divergence and regulation
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>RNA editing and alternative splicing play an important role in expanding protein diversity and this is well illustrated in studies of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here, we...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2007-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Evolutionary Biology |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/7/98 |
| _version_ | 1811191165900292096 |
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| author | Liang Jing Cao Jun Tian Nan Jin Yongfeng Yang Zhaolin Lv Jianning |
| author_facet | Liang Jing Cao Jun Tian Nan Jin Yongfeng Yang Zhaolin Lv Jianning |
| author_sort | Liang Jing |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>RNA editing and alternative splicing play an important role in expanding protein diversity and this is well illustrated in studies of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here, we compare the RNA editing and alternative splicing of the nAChR alpha6 subunit genes from different insects spanning ~300 million years of evolution– <it>Drosophila melanogaster, Anopheles gambiae, Bombyx mori, Tribolium castaneum </it>and <it>Apis mellifera</it>. The conserved and species-specific A-to-I RNA editing occurred across all species except <it>A. gambiae</it>, which displayed extraordinarily short flanking intronic sequences. Interestingly, some A-to-I editing sites were a genomically encoded G in other species. A combination of the experimental data and computational analysis of orthologous alpha6 genes from different species indicated that RNA editing and alternative splicing predated at least the radiation of insect orders spanning ~300 million years of evolution; however, they might have been lost in some species during subsequent evolution. The occurrence of alternative splicing was found to be regulated in distinct modes and, in some cases, even correlated with RNA editing.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>On the basis of comparative analysis of orthologous nAChR alpha6 genes from different insects spanning ~300 million years of evolution, we have documented the existence, evolutionary conservation and divergence, and also regulation of RNA editing and alternative splicing. Phylogenetic analysis of RNA editing and alternative splicing, which can create a multitude of functionally distinct protein isoforms, might have a crucial role in the evolution of complex organisms beyond nucleotide and protein sequences.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:02:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b793e02598e2453f96424729dc912869 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2148 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:02:01Z |
| publishDate | 2007-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Evolutionary Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-b793e02598e2453f96424729dc9128692022-12-22T04:16:56ZengBMCBMC Evolutionary Biology1471-21482007-06-01719810.1186/1471-2148-7-98RNA editing and alternative splicing of the insect nAChR subunit alpha6 transcript: evolutionary conservation, divergence and regulationLiang JingCao JunTian NanJin YongfengYang ZhaolinLv Jianning<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>RNA editing and alternative splicing play an important role in expanding protein diversity and this is well illustrated in studies of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here, we compare the RNA editing and alternative splicing of the nAChR alpha6 subunit genes from different insects spanning ~300 million years of evolution– <it>Drosophila melanogaster, Anopheles gambiae, Bombyx mori, Tribolium castaneum </it>and <it>Apis mellifera</it>. The conserved and species-specific A-to-I RNA editing occurred across all species except <it>A. gambiae</it>, which displayed extraordinarily short flanking intronic sequences. Interestingly, some A-to-I editing sites were a genomically encoded G in other species. A combination of the experimental data and computational analysis of orthologous alpha6 genes from different species indicated that RNA editing and alternative splicing predated at least the radiation of insect orders spanning ~300 million years of evolution; however, they might have been lost in some species during subsequent evolution. The occurrence of alternative splicing was found to be regulated in distinct modes and, in some cases, even correlated with RNA editing.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>On the basis of comparative analysis of orthologous nAChR alpha6 genes from different insects spanning ~300 million years of evolution, we have documented the existence, evolutionary conservation and divergence, and also regulation of RNA editing and alternative splicing. Phylogenetic analysis of RNA editing and alternative splicing, which can create a multitude of functionally distinct protein isoforms, might have a crucial role in the evolution of complex organisms beyond nucleotide and protein sequences.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/7/98 |
| spellingShingle | Liang Jing Cao Jun Tian Nan Jin Yongfeng Yang Zhaolin Lv Jianning RNA editing and alternative splicing of the insect nAChR subunit alpha6 transcript: evolutionary conservation, divergence and regulation BMC Evolutionary Biology |
| title | RNA editing and alternative splicing of the insect nAChR subunit alpha6 transcript: evolutionary conservation, divergence and regulation |
| title_full | RNA editing and alternative splicing of the insect nAChR subunit alpha6 transcript: evolutionary conservation, divergence and regulation |
| title_fullStr | RNA editing and alternative splicing of the insect nAChR subunit alpha6 transcript: evolutionary conservation, divergence and regulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | RNA editing and alternative splicing of the insect nAChR subunit alpha6 transcript: evolutionary conservation, divergence and regulation |
| title_short | RNA editing and alternative splicing of the insect nAChR subunit alpha6 transcript: evolutionary conservation, divergence and regulation |
| title_sort | rna editing and alternative splicing of the insect nachr subunit alpha6 transcript evolutionary conservation divergence and regulation |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/7/98 |
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