Evolution of the F-box gene family in Euarchontoglires: gene number variation and selection patterns

PLoS One. 2014 Apr 11;9(4):e94899. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094899. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

F-box proteins are substrate adaptors used by the SKP1-CUL1-F-box protein (SCF) complex, a type of E3 ubiquitin ligase complex in the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). SCF-mediated ubiquitylation regulates proteolysis of hundreds of cellular proteins involved in key signaling and disease systems. However, our knowledge of the evolution of the F-box gene family in Euarchontoglires is limited. In the present study, 559 F-box genes and nine related pseudogenes were identified in eight genomes. Lineage-specific gene gain and loss events occurred during the evolution of Euarchontoglires, resulting in varying F-box gene numbers ranging from 66 to 81 among the eight species. Both tandem duplication and retrotransposition were found to have contributed to the increase of F-box gene number, whereas mutation in the F-box domain was the main mechanism responsible for reduction in the number of F-box genes, resulting in a balance of expansion and contraction in the F-box gene family. Thus, the Euarchontoglire F-box gene family evolved under a birth-and-death model. Signatures of positive selection were detected in substrate-recognizing domains of multiple F-box proteins, and adaptive changes played a role in evolution of the Euarchontoglire F-box gene family. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) distributions were found to be highly non-random among different regions of F-box genes in 1092 human individuals, with domain regions having a significantly lower number of non-synonymous SNPs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Biological
  • Animals
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Evolution, Molecular*
  • F-Box Proteins / chemistry
  • F-Box Proteins / genetics*
  • Gene Order
  • Genetic Loci
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genome
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Multigene Family*
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Selection, Genetic

Substances

  • F-Box Proteins

Grants and funding

The work was the project from National Natural Science Fund Program of China (31271917) (http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/Portal0/default152.htm). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.