The dopamine receptor D 5 gene shows signs of independent erosion in toothed and baleen whales
To compare gene loci considering a phylogenetic framework is a promising approach to uncover the genetic basis of human diseases. Imbalance of dopaminergic systems is suspected to underlie some emerging neurological disorders. The physiological functions of dopamine are transduced via G-protein-coup...
| Published in: | PeerJ |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
PeerJ
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7758 https://peerj.com/articles/7758.pdf https://peerj.com/articles/7758.xml https://peerj.com/articles/7758.html |
| Summary: | To compare gene loci considering a phylogenetic framework is a promising approach to uncover the genetic basis of human diseases. Imbalance of dopaminergic systems is suspected to underlie some emerging neurological disorders. The physiological functions of dopamine are transduced via G-protein-coupled receptors, including DRD 5 which displays a relatively higher affinity toward dopamine. Importantly, DRD 5 knockout mice are hypertense, a condition emerging from an increase in sympathetic tone. We investigated the evolution of DRD 5 , a high affinity receptor for dopamine, in mammals. Surprisingly, among 124 investigated mammalian genomes, we found that Cetacea lineages (Mysticeti and Odontoceti) have independently lost this gene, as well as the burrowing Chrysochloris asiatica (Cape golden mole). We suggest that DRD 5 inactivation parallels hypoxia-induced adaptations, such as peripheral vasoconstriction required for deep-diving in Cetacea, in accordance with the convergent evolution of vasoconstrictor genes in hypoxia-exposed animals. Our findings indicate that Cetacea are natural knockouts for DRD 5 and might offer valuable insights into the mechanisms of some forms of vasoconstriction responses and hypertension in humans. |
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