Evolution of Glycosyl Hydrolase 20 Family Enzymes
Author Information
Author(s): Intra Jari, Pavesi Giulio, Horner David S
Primary Institution: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomolecolari e Biotecnologie, Università di Milano
Hypothesis
The study investigates the evolutionary history and substrate specificity changes within the Glycosyl hydrolase 20 family.
Conclusion
The study reveals that multiple convergent changes in substrate specificity have occurred in various subfamilies of the GH20 family.
Supporting Evidence
- The GH20 family is involved in important physiological processes across various organisms.
- Phylogenetic analyses suggest that the last common ancestor of extant eukaryotes likely had at least one GH20 family member.
- Multiple gene duplications and lineage-specific gene losses explain the taxonomic distribution of GH20 family members.
Takeaway
Scientists studied a family of enzymes that help break down sugars and found that they have changed a lot over time to do different jobs in different organisms.
Methodology
Phylogenetic analyses were conducted on 233 inferred protein sequences from eukaryotes and prokaryotes to understand the evolutionary relationships.
Limitations
The study's conclusions are limited by the low bootstrap support for deep level relationships in prokaryotes.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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