Emes, RD;
Yang, Z;
(2008)
Duplicated Paralogous Genes Subject to Positive Selection in the Genome of Trypanosoma brucei.
PLOS ONE
, 3
(5)
, Article e2295. 10.1371/journal.pone.0002295.
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Abstract
Background Whole genome studies have highlighted duplicated genes as important substrates for adaptive evolution. We have investigated adaptive evolution in this class of genes in the human parasite Trypanosoma brucei, as indicated by the ratio of non-synonymous (amino-acid changing) to synonymous (amino acid retaining) nucleotide substitution rates. Methodology/Principal Findings We have identified duplicated genes that are most rapidly evolving in this important human parasite. This is the first attempt to investigate adaptive evolution in this species at the codon level. We identify 109 genes within 23 clusters of paralogous gene expansions to be subject to positive selection. Conclusions/Significance Genes identified include surface antigens in both the mammalian and insect host life cycle stage suggesting that competitive interaction is not solely with the adaptive immune system of the mammalian host. Also surface transporters related to drug resistance and genes related to developmental progression are detected. We discuss how adaptive evolution of these genes may highlight lineage specific processes essential for parasite survival. We also discuss the implications of adaptive evolution of these targets for parasite biology and control.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Duplicated Paralogous Genes Subject to Positive Selection in the Genome of Trypanosoma brucei |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0002295 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0002295 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2008 Emes, Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. This work was supported by an MRC UK Bioinformatics Training Fellowship to RDE, and a BBSRC grant to ZY. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Genetics, Evolution and Environment |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1375991 |
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