Mammalian keratin associated proteins (KRTAPs) subgenomes: disentangling hair diversity and adaptation to terrestrial and aquatic environments

• Tipo: Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional
• Data: 2014

Autores

Imran Khan (Autor) Outra; Emanuel Maldonado (Autor) Outra; Vitor Vasconcelos (Autor) FCUP; Stephen J O'Brien (Autor) Outra; Warren E Johnson (Autor) Outra; Agostinho Antunes (Autor) FCUP

Revista

Título: BMC Genomics

Vol. 15

Página Final: 779

ISSN: 1471-2164

Editora: Springer Nature

Indexação

ISI Web of Knowledge - 55 Citações

Scopus - 56 Citações

Classificação Científica

FOS: Ciências exactas e naturais > Ciências biológicas

Outras Informações

ID Authenticus: P-009-TB2

DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-779

Abstract (EN): Background: Adaptation of mammals to terrestrial life was facilitated by the unique vertebrate trait of body hair, which occurs in a range of morphological patterns. Keratin associated proteins (KRTAPs), the major structural hair shaft proteins, are largely responsible for hair variation. Results: We exhaustively characterized the KRTAP gene family in 22 mammalian genomes, confirming the existence of 30 KRTAP subfamilies evolving at different rates with varying degrees of diversification and homogenization. Within the two major classes of KRTAPs, the high cysteine (HS) subfamily experienced strong concerted evolution, high rates of gene conversion/recombination and high GC content. In contrast, high glycine-tyrosine (HGT) KRTAPs showed evidence of positive selection and low rates of gene conversion/recombination. Species with more hair and of higher complexity tended to have more KRATP genes (gene expansion). The sloth, with long and coarse hair, had the most KRTAP genes (175 with 141 being intact). By contrast, the "hairless" dolphin had 35 KRTAPs and the highest pseudogenization rate (74% relative to the 19% mammalian average). Unique hair-related phenotypes, such as scales (armadillo) and spines (hedgehog), were correlated with changes in KRTAPs. Gene expression variation probably also influences hair diversification patterns, for example human have an identical KRTAP repertoire as apes, but much less hair. Conclusions: We hypothesize that differences in KRTAP gene repertoire and gene expression, together with distinct rates of gene conversion/recombination, pseudogenization and positive selection, are likely responsible for micro and macro-phenotypic hair diversification among mammals in response to adaptations to ecological pressures.

Idioma: Inglês

Tipo (Avaliação Docente): Científica

Nº de páginas: 18