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Genome Evolution pp 139–150Cite as

Evolution of signal transduction by gene and genome duplication in fish

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Abstract

Fishes possess more genes encoding receptor tyrosine kinases from the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family than other organisms. Three of the four genes present in higher vertebrates have been duplicated early during the evolution of the ray-finned fish lineage possibly as a consequence of an event of whole genome duplication. In the fish Xiphophorus, a much more recent local event of gene duplication of the egfr co-orthologue egfr-b generated a eighth gene, the Xmrk oncogene. This duplicate acquired within a short time a constitutive activity and a pigment cell-specific overexpression responsible for the induction of melanoma in certain interspecific hybrids. Despite its frequent loss during evolution of the genus Xiphophorus, the maintenance of Xmrk in numerous species and its evolution under purifying selection suggest a so far unknown function under certain natural conditions. One of the known functions of Xmrk in tumor cells is the suppression of differentiation of melanocytes induced by the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor MITF. While only one gene with alternative 5′ exons and promoters is present in higher vertebrates, two mitf genes were identified in fish. Subfunctionalization of mitf paralogues by differential degeneration of alternative exons and regulatory sequences led particularly to the formation of a mitf gene specifically expressed in the melanocyte lineage. These observations validate fish as an outstanding model to study the mechanisms and biological consequences of gene and genome duplication but underline the complexity of the fish model and the caution necessary in transferring knowledge from fish to higher vertebrates and vice versa.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physiologische Chemie I, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074, Würzburg, Germany

    Jean-Nicolas Volff

  2. Biofuture Research Group ’ Evolutionary Fish Genomics’, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074, Würzburg, Germany

    Manfred Schartl

Authors
  1. Jean-Nicolas Volff
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  2. Manfred Schartl
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Konstanz, Germany

    Axel Meyer

  2. Ghent University, Belgium

    Yves Van de Peer

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© 2003 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Volff, JN., Schartl, M. (2003). Evolution of signal transduction by gene and genome duplication in fish. In: Meyer, A., Van de Peer, Y. (eds) Genome Evolution. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0263-9_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0263-9_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-3957-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-010-0263-9

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