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Hydrogen evolution of Enterobacter aerogenes depending on culture pH: mechanism of hydrogen evolution from NADH by means of membrane-bound hydrogenase.

The pH dependency of cell mass productivity, the hydrogen evolution rate and the yield of hydrogen from glucose was measured by controlling the pH of the culture automatically. The cell mass productivity of Enterobacter aerogenes increased in a linear fashion up to a pH value of approx. 7.0. In contrast, both the evolution rate and the yield of hydrogen showed convex relationships up to a pH value of 7.0, both having maximum values at a pH of approx. 5.8. The maximum evolution rate was approx. 11.3 mmol H2 per g dry cell per h at 38 degrees C. A hypothetical mechanism for hydrogen evolution was proposed by taking our results and other research work into consideration. The proposed mechanism of hydrogen evolution was that NADH was oxidized on the inside surface of the cell membrane and protons were reduced on the outside surface by means of membrane-bound hydrogenase. This mechanism explains in a thermodynamic context the relation between the activity of the hydrogen evolution and the pH of the culture.

Cell Membrane↗

Evolution of the archaeal rhodopsins: evolution rate changes by gene duplication and functional differentiation.

The amino acid sequences of 25 archaeal retinal proteins from 13 different strains of extreme halophiles were analyzed to establish their molecular phylogenetic relationship. On the basis of amino acid sequence similarity, these proteins apparently formed a distinct family designated as the archaeal rhodopsin family (ARF), which was not related to other known proteins, including G protein-coupled receptors. The archaeal rhodopsin family was further divided into four clusters with different functions; H+ pump (bacteriorhodopsin), Cl- pump (halorhodopsin), and two kinds of sensor (sensory rhodopsin and phoborhodopsin). These four rhodopsin clusters seemed to have occurred by gene duplication(s) before the generic speciation of halophilic archaea, based on phylogenetic analysis. Therefore, the degrees of differences in amino acid sequences within each cluster simply reflected the divergent evolution of halophilic archaea. By comparing the branch lengths after speciation points of the reconstituted tree, we calculated the relative evolution rates of the four archaeal rhodopsins bacteriorhodopsin:halorhodopsin:sensory rhodopsin: phoborhodopsin to be 5:4:3:10. From these values, the degrees of functional and structural restriction of each protein can be inferred. The branching topology of four clusters grouped bacteriorhodopsin and halorhodopsin versus sensory rhodopsin and phoborhodopsin by likelihood mapping. Using bacteriorhodopsin (and halorhodopsin) as an outgroup, the gene duplication point of sensory rhodopsin/phoborhodopsin was determined. By calculating the branch lengths between the gene duplication point and each halophilic archaea speciation point, we could speculate upon the relative evolution rate of pre-sensory rhodopsin and pre-phoborhodopsin. The evolution rate of pre-sensory rhodopsin was fivefold faster than that of pre-phoborhodopsin, which suggests that the original function of the ancestral sensor was similar to that of phoborhodopsin, and that sensory rhodopsin evolved from pre-sensory rhodopsin by the accumulation of mutations. The changes in evolution rate by gene duplication and functional differentiation were demonstrated in the archaeal rhodopsin family using the gene duplication date and halobacterial speciation date as common time stamps.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Evolution of a large ribosomal RNA multigene family in filamentous fungi: birth and death of a concerted evolution paradigm.

In eukaryotes, the primary components of the ribosome are encoded by multicopy nuclear ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes: 28/26S, 18S, 5.8S, and 5S. Copies of these genes are typically localized within tandem arrays and homogenized within a genome. As a result, nuclear rRNA gene families have become a paradigm of concerted evolution. In filamentous fungi of the subphylum Pezizomycotina, 5S rRNA genes exist as a large and dispersed multigene family, with between 50 and 100 copies per genome. To determine whether these genes defy the concerted evolution paradigm, we examined the patterns of evolution of these genes by using sequences from the complete genomes of four species. Analyses of these sequences revealed (i) multiple 5S gene types within a genome, (ii) interspecies clustering of gene types, (iii) multiple identical gene types shared among species, (iv) multiple pseudogenes within a genome, and (v) presence/absence variation of individual 5S copies in comparisons of closely related species. These results demonstrate that the 5S family in these species is characterized by birth-and-death evolution under strong purifying selection. Furthermore, our results suggest that birth-and-death evolution occurs at different rates in the genera examined, and that the multiplication and movement of 5S genes across the genome are highly dynamic. As such, we hypothesize that a mechanism resembling retroposition controls 5S rRNA gene amplification, dispersal, and integration in the genomes of filamentous fungi.

Aspergillus nidulans↗

The evolution of concepts on the evolution of endothermy in birds and mammals.

Warm-blooded animals, mammals and birds, are unique not because they are endothermic in the strict sense of the term but because they use an extravagant economy: they have high energy budgets and spend a large part of their energy resources on basic maintenance. Although several advantages of endothermy are easy to indicate, mechanisms behind evolution of such a wasteful life strategy remain unclear and have been subject to intensive debate. For two decades, the aerobic capacity model has been widely recognized as a promising hypothesis and has catalyzed a new direction in ecological and evolutionary physiology--the study of correlated evolution of behavioral and morphophysiological traits. Recently, two alternative models have been proposed, both of which see evolution of high metabolic rates in birds and mammals as an element in evolution of intensive parental care. Unlike previous models, which treated individuals as static objects of fixed properties, the parental care models explicitly incorporate life histories into a evolutionary-physiology research program. The aim of this article was to outline the process of evolution of major concepts in the field, which reflects development of the paradigm of modern evolutionary physiology.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

A maximum likelihood method for analyzing pseudogene evolution: implications for silent site evolution in humans and rodents.

We present a new likelihood method for detecting constrained evolution at synonymous sites and other forms of nonneutral evolution in putative pseudogenes. The model is applicable whenever the DNA sequence is available from a protein-coding functional gene, a pseudogene derived from the protein-coding gene, and an orthologous functional copy of the gene. Two nested likelihood ratio tests are developed to test the hypotheses that (1) the putative pseudogene has equal rates of silent and replacement substitutions; and (2) the rate of synonymous substitution in the functional gene equals the rate of substitution in the pseudogene. The method is applied to a data set containing 74 human processed-pseudogene loci, 25 mouse processed-pseudogene loci, and 22 rat processed-pseudogene loci. Using the informatics resources of the Human Genome Project, we localized 67 of the human-pseudogene pairs in the genome and estimated the GC content of a large surrounding genomic region for each. We find that, for pseudogenes deposited in GC regions similar to those of their paralogs, the assumption of equal rates of silent and replacement site evolution in the pseudogene is upheld; in these cases, the rate of silent site evolution in the functional genes is approximately 70% the rate of evolution in the pseudogene. On the other hand, for pseudogenes located in genomic regions of much lower GC than their functional gene, we see a sharp increase in the rate of silent site substitutions, leading to a large rate of rejection for the pseudogene equality likelihood ratio test.

Animals↗

Divergent evolution and evolution by the birth-and-death process in the immunoglobulin VH gene family.

Immunoglobulin diversity is generated primarily by the heavy- and light-chain variable-region gene families. To understand the pattern of long-term evolution of the heavy-chain variable-region (VH) gene family, which is composed of a large number of member genes, the evolutionary relationships of representative VH genes from diverse organisms of vertebrates were studied by constructing a phylogenetic tree. This tree indicates that the vertebrate VH genes can be classified into group A, B, C, D, and E genes. All VH genes from cartilaginous fishes such as sharks and skates from a monophyletic group and belong to group E, whereas group D consists of bony-fish VH genes. By contrast, group C includes not only some fish genes but also amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammalian genes. Group A and B genes were composed of the genes from mammals and amphibians. The phylogenetic analysis also suggests that mammalian VH genes are classified into three clusters--i.e., mammalian clans I, II, and III-and that these clans have coexisted in the genome for >400 Myr. To study the short-term evolution of VH genes, the phylogenetic analysis of human group A (clan I) and C (clan III) genes was also conducted. The results obtained show that VH pseudogenes have evolved much faster than functional genes and that they have branched off from various functional VH genes. There is little indication that the VH gene family has been subject to concerted evolution that homogenizes member genes. These observations indicate that the VH genes are subject to divergent evolution due to diversifying selection and evolution by the birth-and-death process caused by gene duplication and dysfunctioning mutation. Thus, the evolutionary pattern of this monofunctional multigene family is quite different from that of such gene families as the ribosomal RNA and histone gene families.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Evolution of influenza A virus PB2 genes: implications for evolution of the ribonucleoprotein complex and origin of human influenza A virus.

Phylogenetic analysis of 20 influenza A virus PB2 genes showed that PB2 genes have evolved into the following four major lineages: (i) equine/Prague/56 (EQPR56); (ii and iii) two distinct avian PB2 lineages, one containing FPV/34 and H13 gull virus strains and the other containing North American avian and recent equine strains; and (iv) human virus strains joined with classic swine virus strains (i.e., H1N1 swine virus strains related to swine/Iowa/15/30). The human virus lineage showed the greatest divergence from its root relative to other lineages. The estimated nucleotide evolutionary rate for the human PB2 lineage was 1.82 x 10(-3) changes per nucleotide per year, which is within the range of published estimates for NP and NS genes of human influenza A viruses. At the amino acid level, PB2s of human viruses have accumulated 34 amino acid changes over the past 55 years. In contrast, the avian PB2 lineages showed much less evolution, e.g., recent avian PB2s showed as few as three amino acid changes relative to the avian root. The completion of evolutionary analyses of the PB1, PB2, PA and NP genes of the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex permits comparison of evolutionary pathways. Different patterns of evolution among the RNP genes indicate that the genes of the complex are not coevolving as a unit. Evolution of the PB1 and PB2 genes is less correlated with host-specific factors, and their proteins appear to be evolving more slowly than NP and PA. This suggests that protein functional constraints are limiting the evolutionary divergence of PB1 and PB2 genes. The parallel host-specific evolutionary pathways of the NP and PA genes suggest that these proteins are coevolving in response to host-specific factors. PB2s of human influenza A viruses share a common ancestor with classic swine virus PB2s, and the pattern of evolution suggests that the ancestor was an avian virus PB2. This same pattern of evolution appears in the other genes of the RNP complex. Antigenic studies of HA and NA proteins and sequence comparisons of NS and M genes also suggest a close ancestry for these genes in human and classic swine viruses. From our review of the evolutionary patterns of influenza A virus genes, we propose the following hypothesis: the common ancestor to current strains of human and classic swine influenza viruses predated the 1918 human pandemic virus and was recently derived from the avian host reservoir.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A possible link between molecular evolution and tissue evolution demonstrated by tissue specific genes.

In this paper, we reviewed our recent works on a possible link between molecular evolution and tissue evolution. The evolutionary rates of genes that are expressed tissue specifically were shown to differ widely to one another, depending on tissues: Brain specific genes evolve with significantly slower rate than immune specific genes. The tissue dependence of molecular evolutionary rate strongly suggests the presence of functional constraints against molecular changes from tissue level. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of tissue specific isoforms that are identical to one another in function, but differ only in tissue distribution revealed frequent gene duplications and rapid accumulations of amino acid substitutions during the early evolution of chordates, where rapid evolution at the tissue or organ levels is thought to have occurred. On the basis of functional constraints, a possible explanation for the correlation between evolution at the two levels was presented.

Animals↗

Documentation of reticulate evolution in peonies (Paeonia) using internal transcribed spacer sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA: implications for biogeography and concerted evolution.

The internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA of 33 species of genus Paeonia (Paeoniaceae) were sequenced. In section Paeonia, different patterns of nucleotide additivity were detected in 14 diploid and tetraploid species at sites that are variable in the other 12 species of the section, suggesting that reticulate evolution has occurred. Phylogenetic relationships of species that do not show additivity, and thus ostensibly were not derived through hybridization, were reconstructed by parsimony analysis. The taxa presumably derived through reticulate evolution were then added to the phylogenetic tree according to additivity from putative parents. The study provides an example of successfully using ITS sequences to reconstruct reticulate evolution in plants and further demonstrates that the sequence data could be highly informative and accurate for detecting hybridization. Maintenance of parental sequences in the species of hybrid origin is likely due to slowing of concerted evolution caused by the long generation time of peonies. The partial and uneven homogenization of parental sequences displayed in nine species of putative hybrid origin may have resulted from gradients of gene conversion. The documented hybridizations may have occurred since the Pleistocene glaciations. The species of hybrid origin and their putative parents are now distantly allopatric. Reconstruction of reticulate evolution with sequence data, therefore, provides gene records for distributional histories of some of the parental species.

Asia↗

[Analysis of frequency of DR3 allele in rapidly evolutive forms of Crohn disease in adults; comparison with the occurrence of this allele in slowly evolutive forms and in the normal population].

This communication reports 1. the frequency of the DR3 allele among 86 patients exhibiting various evolutive courses of Crohn's disease (CD), diagnosed in the same hospital in Alsace, France, hospitalized at least once between 1964 and 1986 and followed for at least 1 year, 2. the frequency of the DR3 allele among a control population in the same area: 126 volunteers donors of bone marrow. The definition of the evolutive course was similar to the one published by Binder et al.: slow course (including: intermittent: "occurrence of symptom-free period(s) of at least one month's duration excluding period where the patient was in steroid treatment"; and inactive: "completely free of bowel symptoms during the year") as opposed to continuous evolution: "without symptom-free periods". The DR3 allele determination was established by classical serologic analysis. 26 patients were found with the DR3 allele; 14 belonged to the slow course group, 12 to the continuous evolution group; 60 patients did not exhibit the DR3 allele: 50 in the slow course group, 10 in the continuous evolution group. chi 2 = 8.28; p = 0.004. Therefore the frequency of the DR3 allele was very significantly higher in the group with the continuous course (55%) than in the slow course group (22%). Similarly the frequency of the DR3 allele in the group with the continuous course (12/22: 55%) was significantly higher than in the group of control subjects (34/126: 28%) chi 2 = 6.64; p = 0.01.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Directed evolution of ampicillin-resistant activity from a functionally unrelated DNA fragment: A laboratory model of molecular evolution.

To establish an experimental system to directly observe molecular evolution, a DNA fragment that confers ampicillin resistance on Escherichia coli was cloned from an archaeal genomic DNA. The activity of this clone was enhanced by 50 rounds of directed evolution by using DNA shuffling. Analysis of the evolved DNA fragments shows that two genetic regions have coevolved: One region, which has no obvious ORF, is essential for the activity, whereas the other, which appears to encode a protein, is not essential but enhances the activity of the former region. Analysis of the evolutionary intermediates shows that negative mutations are effectively removed while beneficial mutations accumulate and illustrates how a protein has evolved over the course of the evolution experiments. Although the mechanism of the activity remains unclear, the evolved DNA fragments also confer resistance to other drugs that inhibit bacterial cell-wall synthesis. The present system would serve as an experimental model to study evolutionary dynamics in the laboratory and provide the concept of screening natural libraries to obtain starting materials for directed evolution.

Ampicillin↗

Protein evolution: structure-function relationships of the oncogene beta-catenin in the evolution of multicellular animals.

Beta-catenin functions as a cytoskeletal linker protein in cadherin-mediated adhesion and as a signal mediator in wnt-signal transduction pathways. We use a novel integrative approach, combining evolutionary, genomic, and three-dimensional structural data to analyze and trace the structural and functional evolution of beta-catenin genes. This approach also enabled us to examine the effects of gene duplication on the structure and function of beta-catenin genes in Drosophila, C. elegans, and vertebrates. By sampling a large number of different taxa, we identified both ancestral and derived motifs and residues within the different regions of the beta-catenin proteins. Projecting amino acid substitutions onto the three- dimensional structure established for mouse beta-catenin, we identified specific domains that exhibit loss and gain of selective constraints during beta catenin evolution. Structural changes, changes in the amino acid substitution rate, and the appearance of novel functional domains in beta-catenin can be mapped to specific branches on the metazoan tree. Together, our analyses suggest that a single, beta-catenin gene fulfilled both adhesion and signaling functions in the last common ancestor of metazoans some 700 million years ago. In addition, gene duplications facilitated the evolution of beta-catenins with novel functions and allowed the evolution of multiple, single-function proteins (cell adhesion or wnt-signaling) from the ancestral, dual-function protein. Integrative methods such as those we have applied here, utilizing the 'natural experiments' present in animal diversity, can be employed to identify novel and shared functional motifs and residues in virtually any protein among the proteomes of model systems and humans.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Strategies for the in vitro evolution of protein function: enzyme evolution by random recombination of improved sequences.

Sets of genes improved by directed evolution can be recombined in vitro to produce further improvements in protein function. Recombination is particularly useful when improved sequences are available; costs of generating such sequences, however, must be weighed against the costs of further evolution by sequential random mutagenesis. Four genes encoding para-nitrobenzyl (pNB) esterase variants exhibiting enhanced activity were recombined in two cycles of high-fidelity DNA shuffling and screening. Genes encoding enzymes exhibiting further improvements in activity were analyzed in order to elucidate evolutionary processes at the DNA level and begin to provide an experimental basis for choosing in vitro evolution strategies and setting key parameters for recombination. DNA sequencing of improved variants from the two rounds of DNA shuffling confirmed important features of the recombination process: rapid fixation and accumulation of beneficial mutations from multiple parent sequences as well as removal of silent and deleterious mutations. The five to sixfold further enhancement of total activity towards the para-nitrophenyl (pNP) ester of loracarbef was obtained through recombination of mutations from several parent sequences as well as new point mutations. Computer simulations of recombination and screening illustrate the trade-offs between recombining fewer parent sequences (in order to reduce screening requirements) and lowering the potential for further evolution. Search strategies which may substantially reduce screening requirements in certain situations are described.

Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases↗

Antagonistic co-evolution and the evolution of genotypic randomization.

Antagonistic co-evolution, such as the pursuit and flight of host-parasite co-evolution, easily generates cyclical co-evolutionary dynamics. It is well known that a fluctuating, contrary environment may favour the evolution of recombination, but previous analyses have shown that the optimal rate of recombination declines as the period of the environmental fluctuations gets longer. It is here shown that the direction of selection for recombination (for higher or lower rates) may only be sensitive to fluctuation period if the fluctuations are generated by non-co-evolving features of the environment, such as changes in climate. In the simple model of this paper, co-evolutionary cycling provides an advantage for recombination that is independent of period length. This independence of period length necessitates a new framework for understanding the advantage of recombination in the context of co-evolution. In the model studied in this paper it is the phase difference of the host and parasite trajectories that is the relevant feature, and phase relationships are independent of the co-evolutionary cycle time. That is, the phase difference of the oscillations is independent of their frequency.

Biological Evolution↗

The importance of gene rearrangement in evolution: evidence from studies on rates of chromosomal, protein, and anatomical evolution.

We have compared the relative rates of protein evolution and chromosomal evolution in frogs and mammals. The average rate of change in chromosome number has been about 20 times faster in mammals than in frogs. Whereas it takes only 3.5 million years, on the average, for a pair of mammal species to develop a difference in chromosome number, the corresponding period for frogs is 70 million years. In contrast, the rate of protein evolution in mammals has been roughly equal to that in frogs. The rapid rate of gene rearrangement in mammals parallels both their rapid anatomical evolution and their rapid evolutionary loss of the potential for interspecific hybridization. Thus, gene rearrangements may be more important than point mutations as sources for evolutionary changes in anatomy and way of life.

Adaptation, Biological↗

Molecular evolution of an imprinted gene: repeatability of patterns of evolution within the mammalian insulin-like growth factor type II receptor.

The repeatability of patterns of variation in Ka/Ks and Ks is expected if such patterns are the result of deterministic forces. We have contrasted the molecular evolution of the mammalian insulin-like growth factor type II receptor (Igf2r) in the mouse-rat comparison with that in the human-cow comparison. In so doing, we investigate explanations for both the evolution of genomic imprinting and for Ks variation (and hence putatively for mutation rate evolution). Previous analysis of Igf2r, in the mouse-rat comparison, found Ka/Ks patterns that were suggested to be contrary to those expected under the conflict theory of imprinting. We find that Ka/Ks variation is repeatable and hence confirm these patterns. However, we also find that the molecular evolution of Igf2r signal sequences suggests that positive selection, and hence conflict, may be affecting this region. The variation in Ks across Igf2r is also repeatable. To the best of our knowledge this is the first demonstration of such repeatability. We consider three explanations for the variation in Ks across the gene: (1) that it is the result of mutational biases, (2) that it is the result of selection on the mutation rate, and (3) that it is the product of selection on codon usage. Explanations 2 and 3 predict a Ka-Ks correlation, which is not found. Explanation 3 also predicts a negative correlation between codon bias and Ks, which is also not found. However, in support of explanation 1 we do find that in rodents the rate of silent C --> T mutations at CpG sites does covary with Ks, suggesting that methylation-induced mutational patterns can explain some of the variation in Ks. We find evidence to suggest that this CpG effect is due to both variation in CpG density, and to variation in the frequency with which CpGs mutate. Interestingly, however, a GC4 analysis shows no covariance with Ks, suggesting that to eliminate methyl-associated effects CpG rates themselves must be analyzed. These results suggest that, in contrast to previous studies of intragenic variation, Ks patterns are not simply caused by the same forces responsible for Ka/Ks correlations.

Animals↗

Origin and evolution of the chloroplast trnK (matK) intron: a model for evolution of group II intron RNA structures.

The trnK intron of plants encodes the matK open reading frame (ORF), which has been used extensively as a phylogenetic marker for classification of plants. Here we examined the evolution of the trnK intron itself as a model for group II intron evolution in plants. Representative trnK intron sequences were compiled from species spanning algae to angiosperms, and four introns were newly sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the matK ORFs belong to the ML (mitochondrial-like) subclass of group II intron ORFs, indicating that they were derived from a mobile group II intron of the class. RNA structures of the introns were folded and analyzed, which revealed progressive RNA structural deviations and degenerations throughout plant evolution. The data support a model in which plant organellar group II introns were derived from bacterial-like introns that had "standard" RNA structures and were competent for self-splicing and mobility and that subsequently the ribozyme structures degenerated to ultimately become dependent upon host-splicing factors. We propose that the patterns of RNA structure evolution seen for the trnK intron will apply to the other group II introns in plants.

Base Sequence↗

Evolution of bHLH transcription factors: modular evolution by domain shuffling?

Multidomain proteins usually contain several conserved and apparently independently evolved domains. As a result, classifications based on only a single small domain may obscure the true evolutionary relationships of the proteins. The current classification of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain-containing proteins is based on the conserved bHLH domain alone. Herein, we explore whether sequence homology and, therefore, evolutionary relationships can be detected among the flanking or non-bHLH components of the amino acid sequences of 122 bHLH proteins. These 122 proteins were the same proteins previously used to construct the existing classification of the bHLH-domain-containing proteins. Several possible scenarios are examined in order to explain the observed patterns of sequence divergence, including (1) monophyly, (2) convergent evolution, (3) addition of functional components to the bHLH domain, and (4) modular evolution with domain shuffling. Drawing on several lines of evidence, we suggest that modular evolution by domain shuffling may have played an important role in the evolution of this large group of transcriptional regulators.

DNA-Binding Proteins↗