Divergent evolution of fucosyltransferase genes from vertebrates, invertebrates, and bacteria

Abstract

On the basis of function and sequence similarities, the vertebrate fucosyltransferases can be classified into three groups: alpha-2-, alpha-3-, and alpha-6-fucosyltransferases. Thirty new putative fucosyltransferase genes from invertebrates and bacteria and six conserved peptide motifs have been identified in DNA and protein databanks. Two of these motifs are specific of alpha-3-fucosyltransferases, one is specific of alpha-2-fucosyltransferases, another is specific of alpha-6-fucosyltransferases, and two are shared by both alpha-2- and alpha-6-fucosyltranserases. Based on these data, literature data, and the phylogenetic analysis of the conserved peptide motifs, a model for the evolution offucosyltransferase genes by successive duplications, followed by divergent evolution is proposed, with either two different ancestors, one for the alpha-2/6-fucosyltransferases and one for the alpha-3-fucosyltransferases or a single common ancestor for the two families. The expected properties of such an hypothetical ancestor suggest that the plant or insect alpha-3-fucosyltransferases using chitobiose as acceptor might be the present forms of this ancestor, since fucosyltransferases using chitobiose as acceptor are expected to be of earlier appearance in evolution than enzymes using N -acetyllactosamine. However, an example of convergent evolution of fucosyltransferase genes is suggested for the appearance of the Leaepitopes found in plants and primates.

Dysregulation of TGF-β1 receptor activation leads to abnormal lung development and emphysema-like phenotype in core fucose-deficient mice

“…5, which is published as supporting information on the PNAS web site). This finding agrees with previous reports indicating that there are no additional genes homologous to Fut8 in mammals and lower organisms (21,22). Thus, the Fut8 gene is the only one responsible for the core fucosylation of N-glycans in mouse tissues.…”

Divergent evolution and purifying selection of the H (FUT1) gene in New World monkeys (Primates, Platyrrhini)

“…suggest the occurrence of divergent evolution of the H gene in New World monkeys. This idea is supported by the mean similarity values of the platyrrhine nucleotide sequences and the human H genes, which are higher than those found between Se and Sec1 genes, and the presence of the three previously described conserved motifs (Figure 1), shared by all α1,2 fucosyltransferases studied so far (Breton et al, 1998;Oriol et al, 1999). The divergent evolution model proposed here is in agreement with the evolution model proposed by other studies that suggest that the common shared motifs represent evidence that the α1,2 fucosyltransferases, the H gene included, have a common genetic origin by duplication events, followed by divergent evolution of the species (Breton et al, 1998;Oriol et al, 1999;Barreaud et al, 2000;Bureau et al, 2001).…”

“…Evolution of the H gene in New World monkeys Larsen et al (1990) and Apoil et al (2000); the box indicates the position of the transmembrane domain (TD) and of the three conserved motifs described by Oriol et al (1999).…”

Golgi Glycosylation

“…The specificity of each GT is defined not only by the sugar it transfers but also by the sugar transferred to and the glycosidic linkage formed. In fact, sequence comparisons group GTs based on the glycosidic linkage catalysed rather than the sugar transferred (Oriol et al 1999).…”