Organization of the bovine alpha 2-fucosyltransferase gene cluster suggests that the Sec1 gene might have been shaped through a nonautonomous L1-retrotransposition event within the same locus

By referring to the split coding sequence of the highly conserved alpha 6-fucosyltransferase gene family (assumed to be representative of the common alpha 2 and alpha 6 fucosyltransferase gene ancestor), we have hypothesized that the monoexonic coding sequences of the present alpha 2-fucosyltransfer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular biology and evolution 2001-11, Vol.18 (11), p.2083-2091
Main Authors: Saunier, K, Barreaud, J P, Eggen, A, Oriol, R, Levéziel, H, Julien, R, Petit, J M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
a2-fucosyltransferase
Animals
bfut1 gene
bfut2 gene
Cattle
Evolution, Molecular
Fucosyltransferases - genetics
Galactoside 2-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase
Genetic Markers - genetics
Humans
Long Interspersed Nucleotide Elements - genetics
Multigene Family - genetics
Munc18 Proteins
Mutagenesis, Insertional - genetics
Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics
Pseudogenes
sec1 gene
Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
transposon L1
Vesicular Transport Proteins
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Summary:By referring to the split coding sequence of the highly conserved alpha 6-fucosyltransferase gene family (assumed to be representative of the common alpha 2 and alpha 6 fucosyltransferase gene ancestor), we have hypothesized that the monoexonic coding sequences of the present alpha 2-fucosyltransferase genes have been shaped in mammals by several events of retrotransposition and/or duplication. In order to test our hypothesis, we determined the structure of the three bovine alpha 2-fucosyltransferase genes (bfut1, bfut2, and sec1) and analyzed their characteristics compared with their human counterparts (FUT1, FUT2, and Sec1). We show that in mammals, a complex nonautonomous L1-retrotransposition event occurred within the locus of the alpha 2-fucosyltransferase ancestor gene itself. A consequence of this event was the processing in Catarrhini of a Sec1 pseudogene via several point mutations.
ISSN:0737-4038
DOI:10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a003749