Orthologs and paralogs of regA, a master cell-type regulatory gene in Volvox carteri.

Current Genetics
Leonard DuncanStephen M Miller

Abstract

The multicellular green alga Volvox carteri forma nagariensis has only two cell types: terminally differentiated somatic cells and reproductive cells. The regA gene maintains the terminally differentiated state of the somatic cells, apparently by repressing transcription of genes required for chloroplast biogenesis and thereby preventing cell growth. Because the RegA protein sequence bore no obvious motifs, we are attempting to identify regions of functional importance by searching for strongly conserved domains in RegA orthologs. Here we report the cloning and characterization of regA from the most closely related known taxon, V. carteri f. kawasakiensis. Given the closeness of the relationship between these two formas, their regA genes are surprisingly different: they differ in the number of introns and by several lengthy indels, and they encode proteins that are only 80% identical. We also serendipitously discovered a paralogous gene immediately upstream of each regA locus. The two regA genes, both upstream paralogs and several genes in Chlamydomonas (the closest unicellular relative of Volvox) encode a conserved region (the VARL domain) that contains what appears to be a DNA-binding SAND domain. This discovery has opened up...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jul 25, 2007·Journal of Molecular Evolution·Leonard DuncanStephen M Miller
Dec 22, 2010·Sexual Plant Reproduction·Armin Hallmann
Dec 23, 2006·BMC Genomics·Ghazaleh NematollahiArmin Hallmann
Nov 16, 2010·Current Opinion in Plant Biology·Ichiro Nishii, Stephen M Miller
Apr 3, 2014·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Erik R HanschenRichard E Michod
Jul 6, 2016·Current Opinion in Genetics & Development·Bradley Jsc Olson, Aurora M Nedelcu
Sep 24, 2013·Molecular Biology Reports·Arash Kianianmomeni, Armin Hallmann
Jul 7, 2020·EvoDevo·James G Umen

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