Fast evolutionary rates associated with functional loss in class I glucose transporters of Schistosoma mansoni

0453234 - BC 2016 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Cabezas-Cruz, A. - Valdés, James J. - Lancelot, J. - Pierce, R.J.
Fast evolutionary rates associated with functional loss in class I glucose transporters of Schistosoma mansoni.
BMC Genomics. Roč. 16, NOV 19 2015 (2015), s. 980. ISSN 1471-2164. E-ISSN 1471-2164
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) EE2.3.30.0032
Institutional support: RVO:60077344
Keywords : Schistosoma mansoni * glucose transporters * transcriptional regulation * phylogen * biophysics
Subject RIV: EI - Biotechnology ; Bionics
Impact factor: 3.867, year: 2015

By modeling the phase of human host infection, we showed that transporter transcript expression profiles of recently transformed schistosomula have two opposing responses to increased glucose concentrations. Concurring with the transcription profiles, our phylogenetic analyses revealed that S. mansoni glucose transporters belong to two separate clusters, one associated with class I glucose transporters from vertebrates and insects, and the other specific to parasitic Platyhelminthes. To study the evolutionary paths of both groups and their functional implications, we determined evolutionary rates, relative divergence times, genomic organization and performed structural analyses with the protein sequences. We finally used the modelled structures of the S. mansoni glucose transporters to biophysically (i) analyze the dynamics of key residues during glucose binding, (ii) test glucose stability within the active site, and (iii) demonstrate glucose diffusion. The two S. mansoni Platyhelminthes-specific glucose transporters, which seem to be younger than the other two, exhibit slower rates of molecular evolution, are encoded by intron-poor genes, and transport glucose. Interestingly, our molecular dynamic analyses suggest that S. mansoni class I glucose transporters are not able to transport glucose.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0254120