Evolutionarily assembled cis-regulatory module at a human ciliopathy locus.

Lee JH, Silhavy JL, Lee JE, Al-Gazali L, Thomas S, Davis EE, Bielas SL, Hill KJ, Iannicelli M, Brancati F, Gabriel SB, Russ C, Logan CV, Sharif SM, Bennett CP, Abe M, Hildebrandt F, Diplas BH, Attié-Bitach T, Katsanis N, Rajab A, Koul R, Sztriha L, Waters ER, Ferro-Novick S, Woods CG, Johnson CA, Valente EM, Zaki MS, Gleeson JG.

Source : Science

2012 fév 24

Pmid / DOI: 22282472

Abstract

Neighboring genes are often coordinately expressed within cis-regulatory modules, but evidence that nonparalogous genes share functions in mammals is lacking. Here, we report that mutation of either TMEM138 or TMEM216 causes a phenotypically indistinguishable human ciliopathy, Joubert syndrome. Despite a lack of sequence homology, the genes are aligned in a head-to-tail configuration and joined by chromosomal rearrangement at the amphibian-to-reptile evolutionary transition. Expression of the two genes is mediated by a conserved regulatory element in the noncoding intergenic region. Coordinated expression is important for their interdependent cellular role in vesicular transport to primary cilia. Hence, during vertebrate evolution of genes involved in ciliogenesis, nonparalogous genes were arranged to a functional gene cluster with shared regulatory elements.

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