Comparable contributions of structural-functional constraints and expression level to the rate of protein sequence evolution
2008

How Protein Structure and Expression Levels Affect Evolution Rates

publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Maxim Y Wolf, Yuri I Wolf, Eugene V Koonin

Primary Institution: National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health

Hypothesis

The rate of protein sequence evolution is influenced by both structural-functional constraints and gene expression levels.

Conclusion

The fusion of domains in multidomain proteins leads to a significant homogenization of evolutionary rates, but notable differences between domain-specific rates persist.

Supporting Evidence

  • Highly expressed proteins evolve slower than lowly expressed ones.
  • Fusion of domains leads to closer evolutionary rates within multidomain proteins.
  • Significant differences in evolutionary rates remain between different domains.

Takeaway

This study shows that how fast proteins evolve depends on both their structure and how much they are made in the cell.

Methodology

A genome-wide analysis comparing evolutionary rates of protein domains in multidomain proteins versus those in separate proteins.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the assumption that all domains within multidomain proteins are expressed at the same rate.

Limitations

The study may not account for all extrinsic factors influencing evolutionary rates.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1745-6150-3-40

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