Faculty Research 1980 - 1989
Evolution of the apolipoproteins. Structure of the rat apo-A-IV gene and its relationship to the human genes for apo-A-I, C-III, and E.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1986
First Page
6398
Last Page
6407
JAX Location
JAX VOL 1986
JAX Source
J-Biol-Chem. 1986 May 15; 261(14):6398-407.
Grant
AM30292, AM31615, GM07200
Abstract
We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the rat apolipoprotein (apo-) A-IV gene and analyzed its structural and evolutionary relationships to the human apolipoprotein A-I, E, and C-III genes. The rat A-IV gene is 2.4 kilobases in size and consists of three exons (142, 126, and 1157 base pairs) interrupted by two introns (277 and 673 base pairs). The 5'-nontranslated region and most of the signal peptide are encoded by the first exon. Thus, the apo-A-IV gene lacks an intron in the 5'-nontranslated region of its mRNA in contrast to all other known apolipoprotein genes. Sequences coding for amphipathic docosapeptides span both the second and third exons of the rat A-IV gene. We demonstrate that this is also true for the human apolipoprotein genes. This gene family seems to have evolved by the duplication of an ancestral minigene that resulted in the formation of two exons. Thereafter, evolution of these sequences was dominated by intraexonic amplification of repeating units coding for amphipathic peptides. Sequence divergence of these repeats resulted in the functional differentiation of the apolipoproteins. However, conservation of the fundamental amphipathic pattern allowed members of this protein family to retain their lipid-binding properties.
Recommended Citation
Boguski MS,
Birkenmeier EH,
Elshourbagy NA,
Taylor JM,
Gordon JI.
Evolution of the apolipoproteins. Structure of the rat apo-A-IV gene and its relationship to the human genes for apo-A-I, C-III, and E. J-Biol-Chem. 1986 May 15; 261(14):6398-407.