Open AccessRapid evolution of the human gene for cytochrome c oxidase subunit IV.
Author(s) -
Margaret I. Lomax,
David HewettEmmett,
Tony L. Yang,
Lawrence I. Grossman
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.89.12.5266
Subject(s) - pseudogene , biology , cytochrome c oxidase , gene , genetics , mitochondrial dna , cytochrome b , nuclear gene , nucleic acid sequence , protein subunit , microbiology and biotechnology , mitochondrion , genome
We have compared the DNA sequences of nine mammalian genes for cytochrome c oxidase subunit IV (COX4 genes)--four expressed genes (human, bovine, rat, and mouse) and five pseudogenes (human, chimpanzee, orangutan, squirrel monkey, and bovine)--and constructed the sequence of the ancestral mammalian COX4 gene. By analyzing these sequences to determine the pattern and rate of nucleotide substitution in each branch of the evolutionary tree, we deduced that the human gene has evolved rapidly since the origin of the primate pseudogene approximately 41 million years ago, and we discuss the suggestion that this results from coevolution of nuclear and mitochondrial genes for cytochrome c oxidase.