Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: TASK1

Title: Identification of a new genomic hot spot of evolutionary diversification of protein function.

Authors: Aline Winkelmann, Xiantian You, Nora Grünewald, Ute Häussler, Heinz Krestel, Carola A Haas, Günter Schwarz, Wei Chen, Jochen C Meier

Journal, date & volume: PLoS ONE, 2015 , 10, e0125413

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25955356

Abstract
Establishment of phylogenetic relationships remains a challenging task because it is based on computational analysis of genomic hot spots that display species-specific sequence variations. Here, we identify a species-specific thymine-to-guanine sequence variation in the Glrb gene which gives rise to species-specific splice donor sites in the Glrb genes of mouse and bushbaby. The resulting splice insert in the receptor for the inhibitory neurotransmitter glycine (GlyR) conveys synaptic receptor clustering and specific association with a particular synaptic plasticity-related splice variant of the postsynaptic scaffold protein gephyrin. This study identifies a new genomic hot spot which contributes to phylogenetic diversification of protein function and advances our understanding of phylogenetic relationships.