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On the Diversity of the Laccase Gene: A Phylogenetic Perspective from Botryosphaeria rhodina (Ascomycota: Fungi) and Other Related Taxa

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Abstract

The present study is the first describing the sequencing of a fragment of the copper-oxidase domain of a laccase gene in the family Botryosphaeriaceae. The aim of this work was to assess the degree of genetic and evolutionary relationships of a laccase gene from Botryosphaeria rhodina MAMB-05 with other ascomycete and basidiomycete laccase genes. The 193-amino acid sequences of the copper-oxidase domain from several different fungi, insects, a plant, and a bacterial species were retrieved from GenBank and aligned. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using neighbor-joining, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The organisms studied clustered into five gene clades: fungi (ascomycetes and basidiomycetes), insects, plants, and bacteria. Also, the topologies showed that fungal laccases of the ascomycetes and basidiomycetes are clearly separated into two distinct clusters. This evidence indicated that B. rhodina MAMB-05 and other closely related ascomycetes are a new biological resource given the biotechnological potential of their laccase genes.

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Acknowledgments

CAPES (Brazil) is acknowledged for financial support and for ProDoc Fellowships to J. E. Garcia and R. A. Torres, and a Master’s scholarship to F. J. D. Castilho. R. F. H. Dekker acknowledges CNPq (Brazil) for a Visiting Senior Research Fellowship. M. I. Tiraboshi Ferro is acknowledged for access to DNA sequencing facilities.

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Author notes

  1. José E. Garcia

    Present address: Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Rua Alto do Reservatório s/n, Bela Vista, CEP 55608-680, Vitória de Santo Antão, PE, Brazil

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. de Bioquímica e Biotecnologia, CCE, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, CEP 86051-990, Londrina, PR, Brazil

    Flávio J. D. Castilho, Aneli M. Barbosa, Robert F. H. Dekker & José E. Garcia

  2. Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva e Ambiental, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, CEP 50670-901, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Rodrigo A. Torres

  3. Instituto de Regional Investigación Científica Aplicada, Universidad de Castilla–La Mancha, 13071, Cuidad Real, España

    Robert F. H. Dekker

  4. Dept. de Biologia Geral, CCB, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, CEP 86051-990, Londrina, PR, Brazil

    José E. Garcia

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  1. Flávio J. D. Castilho
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Correspondence to José E. Garcia.

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Castilho, F.J.D., Torres, R.A., Barbosa, A.M. et al. On the Diversity of the Laccase Gene: A Phylogenetic Perspective from Botryosphaeria rhodina (Ascomycota: Fungi) and Other Related Taxa. Biochem Genet 47, 80–91 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10528-008-9208-0

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