A prototype of the mammalian sulfotransferase 1 (SULT1) family in Xenopus laevis: Characterization of a biased usage of SULT1 genes located in the S-subgenome

• Published in: Gene 2022-07, Vol.830, p.146495-146495, Article 146495
• Main Authors: Sato, Kosuke, Ishihara, Akinori, Yamauchi, Kiyoshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Epigenetics; Evolution; Expression; Histone modification; Sulfotransferase; Xenopus laevis
• ISSN: 0378-1119; 1879-0038
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146495

•We performed the phylogenetic and synteny analyses of tetrapod SULT1 genes.•Five X. laevis homeologous SULT1 gene sets were located within a gene cluster.•The SULT1 gene sets showed S-subgenome-biased gene expression.•High levels of histone acetylation were observed in their 5′-region on S-subgenome. BLAST searches previously carried out against Xenopus genome databases, using the cloned X. laevis cytosolic sulfotransferase 1 (SULT1) cDNA sequence, revealed the presence of more than a dozen members of this gene family. Among them, 11 genes composed of five sets, four pairs and a triplet, were homeologous genes in the X. laevis allotetraploid genome consisting of S- and L-subgenomes (≥83% identity within a set). Phylogenetic and synteny analyses of tetrapod SULT1 genes demonstrated that X. laevis possessed six subfamilies, four of which were related to mammalian SULT1 gene subfamilies, while two were ectothermic vertebrate-specific and amphibian-specific SULT1 gene subfamilies. Five sets of homeologous SULT1 genes were located as a gene cluster, and showed S-subgenome-biased gene expression patterns. Acetylation levels of histone H3 at lysine 9 and H4 were also higher in the homeologous SULT1 genes on the S-subgenome than those on the L-subgenome, however, methylation levels of histone H3 at lysine 9 and DNA methylation levels showed no correlation with their transcript levels. In conclusion, histone modifications such as acetylation may be a key factor that controls the S-subgenome-biased expression of the homeologous SULT1 genes.