The fmo genes of Caenorhabditis elegans and C. briggsae: characterisation, gene expression and comparative genomic analysis

The flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) gene family is conserved and ancient with representatives present in almost all phyla so far examined. The genes encode FAD-, NADP- and O 2-dependent enzymes that catalyse oxygenation of soft-nucleophilic heteroatom centres in a range of substrates. Although...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gene 2005-02, Vol.346, p.83-96
Main Authors: Petalcorin, Mark I.R., Joshua, George W., Agapow, Paul-Michael, Dolphin, Colin T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Base Sequence
Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics
Comparative genomics
DNA Primers
Expression patterns
Flavin-containing monooxygenases
Gene Expression
Genome
Molecular phylogenetics
Nematoda
Oxygenases - genetics
Phylogeny
RNA Interference
Species Specificity
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Summary:The flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) gene family is conserved and ancient with representatives present in almost all phyla so far examined. The genes encode FAD-, NADP- and O 2-dependent enzymes that catalyse oxygenation of soft-nucleophilic heteroatom centres in a range of substrates. Although usually classified as xenobiotic-metabolising enzymes, examples of FMOs exist that have evolved to metabolise specific endogenous substrates as part of a discrete physiological process. The genome of Caenorhabditis elegans contains five predicted genes encoding putative homologs of mammalian FMOs, K08C7.2, K08C7.5, Y39A1A.19, F53F4.5 and H24K24.5, which we have named fmo and numbered fmo-1 to fmo-5, respectively. As a first step towards determining their functional role(s), we have experimentally characterised these C. elegans fmo genes including analysing reporter gene expression patterns and RNAi phenotypes. Two major gene expression patterns were observed, either intestinal or hypodermal, but no gross RNAi phenotypes were found possibly due to functional redundancy. The internal structures of fmo-2, fmo-3 and fmo-4 have been compared with orthologs identified in the related nematode C. briggsae. For each orthologous pair, a global comparison of the paired upstream intergenic regions was performed and a number of conserved noncoding sequences, which may represent potential cis-regulatory elements, identified. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that several of the fmo homologs are the result of gene duplication along the lineage leading to the nematodes.
ISSN:0378-1119
1879-0038
DOI:10.1016/j.gene.2004.09.021