Molecular evolution of peptidergic signaling systems in bilaterians
Abstract
Peptides and their specific receptors form molecular peptidergic systems (PSs) that are essential components of neuronal communication in the animal brain. Many PSs have been characterized in insects and mammals but their precise evolutionary relationship is not fully understood. We interrogated genomic sequence databases and used phylogenetic reconstruction tools to show that a large fraction of human PSs were already present in the last common ancestor of flies, mollusks, urchins, and mammals. Our analysis provides a comprehensive view of animal PSs that will pave the way for comparative studies leading to a better understanding of animal physiology and behavior.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- May 2013
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1219956110
- Bibcode:
- 2013PNAS..110E2028M