Skip Navigation


MBE Advance Access originally published online on March 5, 2003
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Supplementary Material
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
20/3/460    most recent
msg060v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (39)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Morrison, G. M.
Right arrow Articles by Dorin, J. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Morrison, G. M.
Right arrow Articles by Dorin, J. R.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Mol. Biol. Evol. 20(3):460-470. 2003
DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msg060
© 2003 by the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. ISSN: 0737-4038

Signal Sequence Conservation and Mature Peptide Divergence Within Subgroups of the Murine ß-Defensin Gene Family

Gillian M. Morrison, Colin A. M. Semple, Fiona M. Kilanowski, Robert E. Hill and Julia R. Dorin

MRC Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland

ß-defensins are two exon genes which encode broad spectrum antimicrobial cationic peptides. We have analyzed the largest murine cluster of these genes which localizes to chromosome 8. Using hidden Markov models, we identified six ß-defensin exon 2–like sequences and subsequently found full-length expressed transcripts for these novel genes. Expression was high in brain and reproductive tissues. Eleven ß-defensins could be grouped into two clear subgroups by virtue of their position and high signal sequence (exon 1 encoded) identity. In contrast, however, there was a very low level of sequence conservation in the exon 2 region encoding the mature antimicrobial peptide. Examination of the gene sequences of orthologs in other rodents also revealed an excess of nucleotide changes that altered amino acids in the mature peptide region. Evolutionary analysis revealed strong evidence that following gene duplication, exon 1 and surrounding noncoding DNA show little divergence within subgroups. The focus for rapid sequence divergence is localized in the DNA encoding the mature peptide and this is driven by accelerated positive selection. This mechanism of evolution is consistent with the role of this gene family as defense against bacterial pathogens and the sequence changes have implications for novel antibiotic design.

Key Words: adaptive evolution • ß-defensin • positive selection • Mus musculus


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Physiol. GenomicsHome page
Y. Radhakrishnan, M. A. Fares, F. S. French, and S. H. Hall
Comparative genomic analysis of a mammalian {beta}-defensin gene cluster
Physiol Genomics, August 20, 2007; 30(3): 213 - 222.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.Home page
K. Taylor, B. McCullough, D. J. Clarke, R. J. Langley, T. Pechenick, A. Hill, D. J. Campopiano, P. E. Barran, J. R. Dorin, and J. R. W. Govan
Covalent Dimer Species of {beta}-Defensin Defr1 Display Potent Antimicrobial Activity against Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Pathogens
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., May 1, 2007; 51(5): 1719 - 1724.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.Home page
S. Vylkova, N. Nayyar, W. Li, and M. Edgerton
Human {beta}-Defensins Kill Candida albicans in an Energy-Dependent and Salt-Sensitive Manner without Causing Membrane Disruption
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., January 1, 2007; 51(1): 154 - 161.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Mol Biol EvolHome page
M. S. Bulmer and R. H. Crozier
Variation in Positive Selection in Termite GNBPs and Relish
Mol. Biol. Evol., February 1, 2006; 23(2): 317 - 326.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 GeneticsHome page
F. M. Jiggins and K.-W. Kim
The Evolution of Antifungal Peptides in Drosophila
Genetics, December 1, 2005; 171(4): 1847 - 1859.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Physiol. GenomicsHome page
A. A. Patil, Y. Cai, Y. Sang, F. Blecha, and G. Zhang
Cross-species analysis of the mammalian {beta}-defensin gene family: presence of syntenic gene clusters and preferential expression in the male reproductive tract
Physiol Genomics, September 21, 2005; 23(1): 5 - 17.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Mol Biol EvolHome page
Z. Liu, J. I. B. Bos, M. Armstrong, S. C. Whisson, L. da Cunha, T. Torto-Alalibo, J. Win, A. O. Avrova, F. Wright, P. R. J. Birch, et al.
Patterns of Diversifying Selection in the Phytotoxin-like scr74 Gene Family of Phytophthora infestans
Mol. Biol. Evol., March 1, 2005; 22(3): 659 - 672.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Mol Biol EvolHome page
M. S. Bulmer and R. H. Crozier
Duplication and Diversifying Selection Among Termite Antifungal Peptides
Mol. Biol. Evol., December 1, 2004; 21(12): 2256 - 2264.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Biol. Chem.Home page
D. J. Campopiano, D. J. Clarke, N. C. Polfer, P. E. Barran, R. J. Langley, J. R. W. Govan, A. Maxwell, and J. R. Dorin
Structure-Activity Relationships in Defensin Dimers: A NOVEL LINK BETWEEN {beta}-DEFENSIN TERTIARY STRUCTURE AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY
J. Biol. Chem., November 19, 2004; 279(47): 48671 - 48679.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Mol Biol EvolHome page
D. J. Lynn, A. T. Lloyd, M. A. Fares, and C. O'Farrelly
Evidence of Positively Selected Sites in Mammalian {alpha}-Defensins
Mol. Biol. Evol., May 1, 2004; 21(5): 819 - 827.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
A. Rantala, D. P. Fewer, M. Hisbergues, L. Rouhiainen, J. Vaitomaa, T. Borner, and K. Sivonen
Phylogenetic evidence for the early evolution of microcystin synthesis
PNAS, January 13, 2004; 101(2): 568 - 573.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Leukoc. Biol.Home page
R. N. Cunliffe and Y. R. Mahida
Expression and regulation of antimicrobial peptides in the gastrointestinal tract
J. Leukoc. Biol., January 1, 2004; 75(1): 49 - 58.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.