Functional divergence of paralogous transcription factors supported the evolution of biomineralization in echinoderms
Alx1 is a pivotal transcription factor in a gene regulatory network that controls skeletogenesis throughout the echinoderm phylum. We performed a structure-function analysis of sea urchin Alx1 using a rescue assay and identified a novel, conserved motif (Domain 2) essential for skeletogenic function...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2017-11-01
|
| Series: | eLife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/32728 |
| _version_ | 1811200604970680320 |
|---|---|
| author | Jian Ming Khor Charles A Ettensohn |
| author_facet | Jian Ming Khor Charles A Ettensohn |
| author_sort | Jian Ming Khor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Alx1 is a pivotal transcription factor in a gene regulatory network that controls skeletogenesis throughout the echinoderm phylum. We performed a structure-function analysis of sea urchin Alx1 using a rescue assay and identified a novel, conserved motif (Domain 2) essential for skeletogenic function. The paralogue of Alx1, Alx4, was not functionally interchangeable with Alx1, but insertion of Domain 2 conferred robust skeletogenic function on Alx4. We used cross-species expression experiments to show that Alx1 proteins from distantly related echinoderms are not interchangeable, although the sequence and function of Domain 2 are highly conserved. We also found that Domain 2 is subject to alternative splicing and provide evidence that this domain was originally gained through exonization. Our findings show that a gene duplication event permitted the functional specialization of a transcription factor through changes in exon-intron organization and thereby supported the evolution of a major morphological novelty. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:06:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f2ad760a97cd4f4eaad42b49e1307bc0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:06:21Z |
| publishDate | 2017-11-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-f2ad760a97cd4f4eaad42b49e1307bc02022-12-22T03:52:31ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2017-11-01610.7554/eLife.32728Functional divergence of paralogous transcription factors supported the evolution of biomineralization in echinodermsJian Ming Khor0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1428-6770Charles A Ettensohn1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3625-0955Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, United StatesDepartment of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, United StatesAlx1 is a pivotal transcription factor in a gene regulatory network that controls skeletogenesis throughout the echinoderm phylum. We performed a structure-function analysis of sea urchin Alx1 using a rescue assay and identified a novel, conserved motif (Domain 2) essential for skeletogenic function. The paralogue of Alx1, Alx4, was not functionally interchangeable with Alx1, but insertion of Domain 2 conferred robust skeletogenic function on Alx4. We used cross-species expression experiments to show that Alx1 proteins from distantly related echinoderms are not interchangeable, although the sequence and function of Domain 2 are highly conserved. We also found that Domain 2 is subject to alternative splicing and provide evidence that this domain was originally gained through exonization. Our findings show that a gene duplication event permitted the functional specialization of a transcription factor through changes in exon-intron organization and thereby supported the evolution of a major morphological novelty.https://elifesciences.org/articles/32728sea urchinsAlx1 transcription factorskeletogenesisgene duplicationevolution |
| spellingShingle | Jian Ming Khor Charles A Ettensohn Functional divergence of paralogous transcription factors supported the evolution of biomineralization in echinoderms eLife sea urchins Alx1 transcription factor skeletogenesis gene duplication evolution |
| title | Functional divergence of paralogous transcription factors supported the evolution of biomineralization in echinoderms |
| title_full | Functional divergence of paralogous transcription factors supported the evolution of biomineralization in echinoderms |
| title_fullStr | Functional divergence of paralogous transcription factors supported the evolution of biomineralization in echinoderms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Functional divergence of paralogous transcription factors supported the evolution of biomineralization in echinoderms |
| title_short | Functional divergence of paralogous transcription factors supported the evolution of biomineralization in echinoderms |
| title_sort | functional divergence of paralogous transcription factors supported the evolution of biomineralization in echinoderms |
| topic | sea urchins Alx1 transcription factor skeletogenesis gene duplication evolution |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/32728 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jianmingkhor functionaldivergenceofparalogoustranscriptionfactorssupportedtheevolutionofbiomineralizationinechinoderms AT charlesaettensohn functionaldivergenceofparalogoustranscriptionfactorssupportedtheevolutionofbiomineralizationinechinoderms |