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Molecular evolution of proteins mediating mitochondrial fission–fusion dynamics
Author(s) -
Sinha Sansrity,
Manoj Narayanan
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1002/1873-3468.13356
Subject(s) - mitochondrial fission , fission , biology , mitochondrial fusion , evolutionary biology , molecular evolution , gene duplication , lineage (genetic) , mfn2 , gene , genetics , mitochondrion , microbiology and biotechnology , computational biology , mitochondrial dna , phylogenetics , physics , quantum mechanics , neutron
Eukaryotes employ a subset of dynamins to mediate mitochondrial fusion and fission dynamics. Here we report the molecular evolution and diversification of the dynamin‐related mitochondrial proteins that drive the fission (Drp1) and the fusion processes (mitofusin and OPA 1). We demonstrate that the three paralogs emerged concurrently in an early mitochondriate eukaryotic ancestor. Furthermore, multiple independent duplication events from an ancestral bifunctional fission protein gave rise to specialized fission proteins. The evolutionary history of these proteins is marked by transformations that include independent gain and loss events occurring at the levels of entire genes, specific functional domains, and intronic regions. The domain level variations primarily comprise loss–gain of lineage specific domains that are present in the terminal regions of the sequences.