Description: The Wnt gene family encodes a set of secreted glycoproteins involved in key developmental processes, including cell fate specification and regulation of posterior growth (Cadigan and Nusse 1997; Martin and Kimelman 2009). As for many other gene families, evidence for expansion and/or contraction of the wnt family is available from deuterostomes [e.g. echinoderms and vertebrates (Nusse and Varmus 1992; Schubert et al. 2000; Croce et al. 2006)] and ecdysozoans [e.g. arthropods and nematodes (Eisenmann 2005; Bolognesi et al. 2008)], but little is known from the third major bilaterian group, the lophotrochozoans [e.g. mollusks and annelids (Prud'homme et al. 2002)]. To obtain a more comprehensive scenario of the evolutionary dynamics of this gene family, we exhaustively mined wnt gene sequences from the whole genome assemblies of a mollusk (Lottia gigantea) and two annelids (Capitella teleta and Helobdella robusta), and examined them by phylogenetic, genetic linkage, intron-exon structure and embryonic expression
Authors: Cho, SJ;Vallès, Y;Giani VC, Jr;Seaver, EC;Weisblat, DA
Source: Molecular biology and evolution; 2010 Feb 22
Sharing: Public

Access all bookmarks for this feed in 2collab