There is considerable variation in the rate at which different proteins evolve. Why is this? Classically, it has been considered that the density of functionally important sites must predict rates of protein evolution. Likewise, amino acid choice is usually assumed to reflect optimal protein function. In the present article, we briefly review evidence suggesting that this protein function-centred view is too simplistic. In particular, we concentrate on how selection acting during the protein's production history can also affect protein evolutionary rates and amino acid choice. Exploring the role of selection at the DNA and RNA level, we specifically address how the need (i) to specify exonic splice enhancer motifs in pre-mRNA, and (ii) to ensure nucleosome positioning on DNA have an impact on amino acid choice and rates of evolution. For both, we review evidence that sequence affected by more than one coding demand is particularly constrained. Strikingly, in mammals, splicing-related constraints are quantitatively as important as expression parameters in predicting rates of protein evolution. These results indicate that there is substantially more to protein evolution than protein functional constraints.
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Conference Article|
July 22 2009
Why there is more to protein evolution than protein function: splicing, nucleosomes and dual-coding sequence
Tobias Warnecke;
Tobias Warnecke
1Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K.
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Claudia C. Weber;
Claudia C. Weber
1Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K.
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Laurence D. Hurst
Laurence D. Hurst
1
1Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K.
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email l.d.hurst@bath.ac.uk)
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
January 05 2009
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Biochemical Society
2009
Biochem Soc Trans (2009) 37 (4): 756–761.
Article history
Received:
January 05 2009
Citation
Tobias Warnecke, Claudia C. Weber, Laurence D. Hurst; Why there is more to protein evolution than protein function: splicing, nucleosomes and dual-coding sequence. Biochem Soc Trans 1 August 2009; 37 (4): 756–761. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST0370756
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