Differential Evolutionary Constraints in the Evolution of Chemoreceptors: A Murine and Human Case Study
Chemoreception is among the most important sensory modalities in animals. Organisms use the ability to perceive chemical compounds in all major ecological activities. Recent studies have allowed the characterization of chemoreceptor gene families. These genes present strikingly high variability in c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2014-01-01
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| Series: | The Scientific World Journal |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/696485 |
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| author | Ricardo D’Oliveira Albanus Rodrigo Juliani Siqueira Dalmolin José Luiz Rybarczyk-Filho Mauro Antônio Alves Castro José Cláudio Fonseca Moreira |
| author_facet | Ricardo D’Oliveira Albanus Rodrigo Juliani Siqueira Dalmolin José Luiz Rybarczyk-Filho Mauro Antônio Alves Castro José Cláudio Fonseca Moreira |
| author_sort | Ricardo D’Oliveira Albanus |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Chemoreception is among the most important sensory modalities in animals. Organisms use the ability to perceive chemical compounds in all major ecological activities. Recent studies have allowed the characterization of chemoreceptor gene families. These genes present strikingly high variability in copy numbers and pseudogenization degrees among different species, but the mechanisms underlying their evolution are not fully understood. We have analyzed the functional networks of these genes, their orthologs distribution, and performed phylogenetic analyses in order to investigate their evolutionary dynamics. We have modeled the chemosensory networks and compared the evolutionary constraints of their genes in Mus musculus, Homo sapiens, and Rattus norvegicus. We have observed significant differences regarding the constraints on the orthologous groups and network topologies of chemoreceptors and signal transduction machinery. Our findings suggest that chemosensory receptor genes are less constrained than their signal transducing machinery, resulting in greater receptor diversity and conservation of information processing pathways. More importantly, we have observed significant differences among the receptors themselves, suggesting that olfactory and bitter taste receptors are more conserved than vomeronasal receptors. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-991d0de248e547948cbc1c02f959ea85 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2356-6140 1537-744X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Scientific World Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-991d0de248e547948cbc1c02f959ea852025-02-03T01:27:53ZengWileyThe Scientific World Journal2356-61401537-744X2014-01-01201410.1155/2014/696485696485Differential Evolutionary Constraints in the Evolution of Chemoreceptors: A Murine and Human Case StudyRicardo D’Oliveira Albanus0Rodrigo Juliani Siqueira Dalmolin1José Luiz Rybarczyk-Filho2Mauro Antônio Alves Castro3José Cláudio Fonseca Moreira4Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 90040-180 Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilDepartamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 90040-180 Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilDepartamento de Física e Biofísica, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Distrito de Rubião Júnior, S/N, 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, BrazilDepartamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 90040-180 Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilDepartamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 90040-180 Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilChemoreception is among the most important sensory modalities in animals. Organisms use the ability to perceive chemical compounds in all major ecological activities. Recent studies have allowed the characterization of chemoreceptor gene families. These genes present strikingly high variability in copy numbers and pseudogenization degrees among different species, but the mechanisms underlying their evolution are not fully understood. We have analyzed the functional networks of these genes, their orthologs distribution, and performed phylogenetic analyses in order to investigate their evolutionary dynamics. We have modeled the chemosensory networks and compared the evolutionary constraints of their genes in Mus musculus, Homo sapiens, and Rattus norvegicus. We have observed significant differences regarding the constraints on the orthologous groups and network topologies of chemoreceptors and signal transduction machinery. Our findings suggest that chemosensory receptor genes are less constrained than their signal transducing machinery, resulting in greater receptor diversity and conservation of information processing pathways. More importantly, we have observed significant differences among the receptors themselves, suggesting that olfactory and bitter taste receptors are more conserved than vomeronasal receptors.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/696485 |
| spellingShingle | Ricardo D’Oliveira Albanus Rodrigo Juliani Siqueira Dalmolin José Luiz Rybarczyk-Filho Mauro Antônio Alves Castro José Cláudio Fonseca Moreira Differential Evolutionary Constraints in the Evolution of Chemoreceptors: A Murine and Human Case Study The Scientific World Journal |
| title | Differential Evolutionary Constraints in the Evolution of Chemoreceptors: A Murine and Human Case Study |
| title_full | Differential Evolutionary Constraints in the Evolution of Chemoreceptors: A Murine and Human Case Study |
| title_fullStr | Differential Evolutionary Constraints in the Evolution of Chemoreceptors: A Murine and Human Case Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Differential Evolutionary Constraints in the Evolution of Chemoreceptors: A Murine and Human Case Study |
| title_short | Differential Evolutionary Constraints in the Evolution of Chemoreceptors: A Murine and Human Case Study |
| title_sort | differential evolutionary constraints in the evolution of chemoreceptors a murine and human case study |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/696485 |
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